Springtime is Strawberry Time

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Yield: 4 half-pints

Strawberry Rhubarb jam is like spring in a jar!

Ingedients

• 1 1/2 pounds strawberries
• 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb stalks
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. Wash the strawberries and rhubarb well.
2. Hull the berries and dice them into small pieces and chop the rhubarb into a 1/4 inch dice. Place the chopped berries and rhubarb in a glass or ceramic bowl with the sugar. Stir to combine and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Let the fruit sit overnight, stirring occasionally.
3. When you're ready to cook the jam, prepare a small boiling water bath canner and four half pint jars and bring it to a boil. Place four new canning jar lids in a small pot and bring them to a bare simmer.
4. Pour the fruit and all the liquid into your jam in a non-reactive pot and place it over medium-high heat. Bring the fruit to a rapid boil and stir regularly. You'll need to adjust between medium-high an high heat to keep the fruit at a boil. It's like a dance- just be careful not to let the jam scorch on the bottom- it can happen quickly!
5. The jam should take about 20 minutes to cook but every kitchen is different so keep a close eye and know that time will vary. The jam is done when it is quite thick. You can tell that it's ready when you pull a spoon through the jam and it doesn't immediately rush in to fill that space. Stir in the lemon juice.
6. Remove the jam from the heat and funnel it into the prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes at sea level and add 5 minutes for every 1000 feet of altitude above 3000 feet. Don't start your timer until the water returns to a boil.
7. Remove jars from canner and set them to cool on a folded kitchen towel. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the rings and test the seals by grasping the edges of the lid and lifting the jar an inch or so from the countertop. If the lid holds fast, the jars are sealed. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and eaten within a week.