Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam With Less Sugar
Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer jam is a great way to preserve the harvest when it’s hot and you’re too busy to can. Strawberries and rhubarb are one of my favorites jam combos but most recipes call for sooooo much sugar. I wanted a reduced sugar recipe and had trouble finding one. So, of course, I decided to experiment.
So far we’ve polished off 4 batches of experimental strawberry rhubarb freezer jams. They all tasted good, but they either didn’t jell up nicely or didn’t have as much flavor as I wanted. Never fear, batches #5 and #6 are keepers! Keep reading for the recipes and a few notes.
Try Fresh Strawberry Pie for another easy no-cook recipe! Or can your own Low Sugar Strawberry Jam for the winter.
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‘Strawberry’ Rhubarb Freezer Jam
So what do you do if you want strawberry rhubarb freezer jam, but you don’t have strawberries? I found myself in that exact situation, so I used strawberry flavored gelatin. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of artificial color and flavor, but I’m certainly not a purist. And the gelatin helps create a thicker freezer jam.
Here’s the recipe for freezer jam made with strawberry gelatin and rhubarb…
- 5 cups cooked, unsweetened rhubarb sauce
- 3 small (3oz) boxes strawberry flavored gelatin
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 Tbs no sugar needed freezer pectin
Wash and chop rhubarb, cook in a saucepan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Measure 5 cups of prepared sauce into a bowl while it is still hot (be careful!).
Add strawberry gelatin and stir until completely dissolved.
In a separate bowl, combine sugar and pectin. Slowly add to rhubarb sauce while stirring. Stir for 3 minutes.
Spoon into freezer containers and chill. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 1 year.
Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam – No Artificial Ingredients
Maybe you want to make some yummy jam without the artificial ingredients in the flavored gelatin. I understand completely! Although everyone in our family liked the recipe above, I did hear a comment that it tasted kind of like strawberry flavored kool-aid.
So I set out on a mission to make a nice, thick, all natural version using real strawberries. The resulting jam is super delicious and easy to make. This version is hands down the favorite with the taste testers in our family! Here is the recipe for batch #6…
- 2 1/2 cups cooked, unsweetened rhubarb sauce
- 2 1/2 cups crushed strawberries
- 3 packets Knox unflavored gelatin
- 3 cups sugar
- 6 Tbs no sugar needed freezer pectin
Wash and chop rhubarb, cook in a saucepan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Measure 2 1/2 cups of prepared sauce into a bowl while it is still hot (be careful!).
Sprinkle small amounts of unflavored gelatin on the sauce and stir in, then add more and stir until all of the gelatin has been dissolved into the rhubarb sauce.
Add crushed strawberries and combine.
In a separate bowl, combine sugar and pectin. Add to fruit mixture and stir for 3 minutes.
Spoon jam into freezer containers and chill. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in freezer for up to 1 year.
Both Recipes Are Easy & Delicious
I really like both recipes, for somewhat different reasons. The all-natural recipe is my favorite for flavor, but the recipe made with strawberry flavored gelatin is great for those times when we don’t have strawberries to make jam.
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Notes for Making Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam
Of course, plenty of people make ‘strawberry’ rhubarb jam with strawberry flavored gelatin…that’s not a new idea. I’ll be honest, I’ve never tried anyone else’s recipe, so I can’t compare them to mine.
I thought that using 3 packages of gelatin seemed like a bit of overkill, but I also tried it with just one, and with two. The batch with one box of gelatin didn’t jell up very well and the batch with 2 boxes jelled ok but didn’t have as much flavor as I wanted. Three packages made a nice thick jam with great flavor…even if it reminded someone of kool-aid.
Do you make freezer jam? Have you ever tried using gelatin to thicken it?
Grow Your Own Organic Strawberries for the best-flavored jam!
Check out my other jam recipes:
Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam
How to Make Peach Freezer Jam from Fresh or Frozen Fruit
Apple Jam Canning Recipe with Printable Gift Tags & Recipe Cards
How to Make Cherry Jam from Scratch
Strawberry Jam – Low Sugar Recipe
Cranberry Jam with Free Printable Labels
Easy Cranberry Jelly with Free Printable Labels
Apple Cranberry Jam with Free Printable Labels
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Thanks for sharing this delicious jam recipe. I love homemade jams. I think I will try this recipe as soon as Fresh strawberries are available to me.
I hope you enjoy it!
I planted rhubarb for the first time this year, but since it takes 3 years before I can enjoy the harvest, I will pin this for now. TFS!
That jam looks delicious! Thank you for hosting! This is what I featured the week of 5-25 to 5-29 on my blog. On Tuesday was Pandemic Pasta Trio Casserole. Wednesday saw Fish Tacos. Thursday was Easy Double Cheese Baked Penne. And winding up this Pasta Week was 19 Tips For Perfect Pasta. Enjoy!
Thanks so much for sharing your recipes, Marilyn!!
YUM! What else to say except thank you for hosting as always! Have a wonderful week!!
Hi Suzan! Happy to host! Enjoy your day!
Thanks so much for hosting each week!! Stay safe, healthy, happy!!
Hugs,
Deb
Thank you Deb! I hope you are well also!
Thank you so much for featuring my Fresh Strawberry Mousse! I love your linky party, and love using fresh fruits and veggies ~ so it’s a match made in Heaven! … Stay safe! … Cindy
Thank you so much, Cindy! I’m happy to share your delicious recipe… thank you for joining us!
We made freezer jam a year or two ago but I like that this recipe has quite a bit less sugar than the one we tried.
Hi Joanne,
I know that a lot of recipes don’t work well with less sugar, but this one seemed to be about as thick as the sweeter recipes. I really like jam made with less sugar much better. I hope you like it!
Ooooh, this looks sooo good! I just picked my first round of rhubarb the other day, so I might have to try this. Wish I had fresh strawberries, but alas, they’re not ready yet.
PS- Saw you on the Farm Fresh Tuesday blog hop. 🙂
Hi Dawn,
Thanks for coming to visit from the hop! It sure is tough to wait for those fresh strawberries! I found some organic ones on sale at the store so I think I’m making some of this jam today. 🙂
I like making jam, but because my freezer space up at the cabin is limited I make jarred jam instead. – Margy
Hi Margy,
I made some canned jam also. But I was running low on time. Freezer jam to the rescue…lol!