Freezer Friendly: Rhubarb Jam & Strawberry Jam
I have had so much fun this past week making jam. Â I started off making rhubarb jam, which was so easy.
Rhubarb Jam
Boil together for 15 minutes & stir often:
- 3 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups sugar
After 15 minutes, remove from heat and mix in:
- 3 oz. strawberry or raspberry jello
Fill your containers. Â This makes enough to fill 4 half pint jars. Â If you freeze the jam, wait for it to set first.
So easy! Â So YUMMY!
I also made strawberry jam with my friend, Emily. Â First we went to a farm to pick the berries. Â We were a bit concerned because no one was around and none of the fields we could see had strawberries in them. Â Uh-oh…
Finally we found someone who showed us where to start picking. Â Boy was it worth it!
We picked enough strawberries for 2 batches of jam and 4 quarts extra to freeze for smoothies.
I was a little nervous about making the jam because neither of us had made it before. Â My sister told me you have to be really exact with your measurements or it won’t set up right.
We used the cooked jam recipe found in the Sure-Gel box. Â The instructions tell you how to can it, but we froze it instead.
Ahhhh, look at all that red, yummy goodness!
When I became a stay-at-home mom, these were the kinds of things that I was hoping I would have the time to try.  Now that I’ve done it, I love it!  It feels kind of Little House on the Prairie-ish, but I love the fact that I harvested something that my family will be able to enjoy all year.
Geez…  Maybe I  should go listen to Britney Spears before I get too domesticated over here!  😉
Do you have any “preserving the harvest” tips for me? Â What should I do next?
Next I would recommend pickling if you enjoy pickled items. It is a very easy process to pickle carrots, cucumbers, peppers, etc. Towards the end of summer/beginning of fall I do at least a bushel of tomatoes, turning them into diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, and sloppy joe sauce. As for your zucchini plants, I grate them and freeze in 2 cup quantities. Just thaw and they’re ready to make “fresh” zucchini bread through the winter.
I have never considered pickling! I’ll have to look into that.
okay, so i’m totally a sensationalist (apparently)! because it was only the Britney part of the title that got me reading the whole post! 😉
Britney can have that kind of powerful effect on people. haha!
Oh I LOVE home made strawberry jam! I made a big batch of it last month (and syrup too!) for the freezer. Now I have a bunch of fresh rhubarb that’s all cut up and in the freezer, just waiting for recipes. I think I’ll try the rhubarb jam recipe. Thanks for posting it!
And on a side note, isn’t it amazing how RED homemade strawberry jam looks? Store bought is always leaning toward brownish… so strange but OH so good. 🙂
Dawn, was this strawberry syrup? That sounds amazing!!
Next time I go to the grocery store, I’m going to check out the strawberry jam to compare colors! 🙂
Yes, you should definitely do that. You’ll be shocked. And yes, I made 3 quarts of strawberry syrup. So far we’ve used one, frozen one, and gave one to some friends. BRIGHT red and so yummy!
Dawn, I’m jealous! I want some strawberry syrup! I’ll need to try to make some next year.
Where did you go strawberry picking? Was the price of the berries more frugal than buying them already picked? I make a meadow tea concentrate and freeze leaves for hot tea in the winter.
Mary Ann, I honestly don’t know the name of the place where we went. It was a local farm. It was cheaper than buying them pre-picked. We paid $1.35 per pound. I think there are about 2 pounds per quart, which would be $2.70 per quart. What do berries normally cost?
If you only need 1 or 2 quarts it might not be worth your time to pick your own, but if you are doing a big jam/freezing session then you could really save big. Plus it was FUN to pick with Emily. 🙂
I used to make meadow tea for my husband, but now we don’t have access to the mint anymore. That is a great idea to freeze some! I should have done that before we moved.
You can replant mint at your house this year, just make sure to include plenty of roots. They really spread and come up the following year.
Fresh and local they are $3.50 even $3.75 per quart. You can get them at some grocery stores for less but they are shipped in from who knows where, CA?
And those store bought ones just do NOT compare in flavor!!