Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam (No Pectin)

This Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam is the easiest homemade jam you’ll ever make. Just 4 simple ingredients – fresh strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice – with no pectin, no canning, and no special equipment beyond a thermometer. It’s the perfect way to preserve summer’s best fruit and stock your freezer with bright, fresh-tasting jam to enjoy all year long.

 

This Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam is one of those recipes I look forward to making every single year. The minute I see fresh rhubarb at the farmers’ market, I know it’s time!! It’s made with just 4 simple ingredients, no pectin, and no canning equipment – and the result is the brightest, freshest, most flavour-packed jam you’ll ever spread on your morning toast. It’s a true taste of summer in a jar, and I am here for it!

If you’ve never made freezer jam before, this is the recipe to start with. There’s no fussy water bath, no sterilizing jars, and no pectin to fight with. Just cook the fruit down with a little sugar and lemon juice, ladle it into a mason jar, and pop it in the fridge or freezer. It keeps beautifully for up to 6 months in the freezer, which means you can stock up during strawberry and rhubarb season and enjoy that fresh-from-the-garden flavour straight through the rest of the year. This recipe has been a reader favourite for YEARS – especially among first-time jam makers – and once you make a batch, you’ll be hooked!

This is one of those recipes that strips jam-making down to its simplest, most foolproof form. There’s no pectin to mess up, no canning kit needed – just a deep pot, a wooden spoon, a potato masher, an instant-read thermometer, and a clean mason jar or two.

What makes this recipe work so well is the natural pairing of strawberries and rhubarb. Rhubarb is naturally high in pectin (the same stuff that makes traditional jam set), so when you cook it down with strawberries and sugar, the jam thickens beautifully on its own. No store-bought pectin needed. The lemon juice adds just enough acidity to brighten the flavour and help the natural pectin do its job. With strawberries taking centre stage at 4 cups and rhubarb playing a supporting role at 1 cup, you get all that classic strawberry flavour with just enough rhubarb tang to keep things interesting.

The freezer storage method is what really sets this recipe apart from traditional canned jam. Because you’re not heat-processing the jars for shelf storage, the flavour stays bright and fresh – it actually tastes more like fresh fruit than cooked-down jam. And because there’s no canning involved, you skip all the equipment, all the timing, and all the food safety concerns that come with shelf-stable canning. Just cool, store in the fridge or freezer, and enjoy whenever you’re ready.

It’s also wonderfully quick. From start to finish, this jam comes together in about 20 minutes, with most of that time hands-off while it boils up to the perfect temperature. The kind of recipe that feels like a real accomplishment but is actually so simple anyone can make it successfully on their first try!

A few small things make a real difference when it comes to freezer jam. Don’t skip these – they’re what take this recipe from good to amazing.

This recipe lives and dies by the quality of your strawberries and rhubarb. Use the ripest, sweetest strawberries you can find, and choose firm, brightly coloured rhubarb stalks. Off-season grocery store strawberries will work, but the flavour won’t be the same as June strawberries from your local farmer’s market or garden.

A potato masher is your best friend. Mash the fruit as it heats up to break down the strawberries and get the rhubarb stringy. The more you mash, the smaller the fruit pieces will be – it’s totally up to you whether you want a chunkier or smoother jam.

This jam bubbles up quite a bit while it boils. A deep, heavy-bottomed pot gives you plenty of room and prevents splatters all over your stovetop.

This is the most important tool in the recipe. Jam reaches its proper set point at 220°F/104°C (218°F/103°C at high altitude). The thermometer takes all the guesswork out of whether the jam is done. Make sure the tip is in the middle of the jam, not touching the bottom of the pot, for the most accurate reading.

Pop a small plate in the freezer before you start cooking. When you think the jam is ready, drop a teaspoonful onto the cold plate and let it sit for 30 seconds. Push your finger through it – if it wrinkles and holds its shape, it’s done. If it runs back together, keep boiling. A thermometer is more reliable, but this works in a pinch if you don’t have one.

Freezer jam without pectin is naturally a little softer than canned jam, and it’ll look pretty liquid when you spoon it into the jar. Don’t worry – it thickens significantly as it cools.

Let the jars sit at room temperature with the lids on until completely cool. This helps the jam set properly and prevents condensation from forming inside the jar.

Time needed: 20 minutes.

1. Combine everything in a deep pot. Add the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice to a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir to combine.
2. Heat over high. Turn the heat to high and stir every now and then as the mixture starts to bubble and get hot.
3. Mash the fruit. Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries and rhubarb as they heat. Mash until the strawberries fall apart and the rhubarb gets stringy. The more you mash, the smaller the fruit pieces will be in your finished jam.
4. Bring to a boil and stir often. Once the mixture comes to a boil, keep stirring every 30 seconds or so to keep the bottom from scorching.
5. Boil until it reaches the right temperature. Use an instant-read thermometer to monitor the temperature, keeping the tip in the middle of the jam (not touching the bottom of the pot). Boil until it reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit/104 degrees Celsius (218 degrees Fahrenheit/103 degrees Celsius at high altitude). This usually takes about 8 minutes.
6. Spoon into a mason jar. Once the jam hits the right temperature, remove the pot from the heat and carefully spoon the hot jam into a clean standard mason jar. It’ll seem a bit thin – that’s normal. It thickens as it cools.
7. Cool, then store. Add the lid and let the jar cool at room temperature until completely cool. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

This recipe is wonderfully adaptable. Here are some of my favourite ways to switch it up:

1. Try other berries. This same recipe works with raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries in place of (or alongside) the strawberries. A blueberry-rhubarb version is especially gorgeous. Keep the total fruit volume about the same.
2. Adjust the rhubarb-to-strawberry ratio. This recipe leads with strawberries (4 cups) and uses rhubarb as a supporting flavour (1 cup). If you love a more tart, rhubarb-forward jam, increase the rhubarb up to 2 cups and reduce the strawberries to 3.
3. Add some vanilla. Stir in a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or scrape in half a vanilla bean at the very end of cooking, after you’ve removed the pot from the heat.
4. Add ginger or cardamom. A small piece of grated fresh ginger or a pinch of cardamom transforms this into a more sophisticated, slightly spicy jam that’s incredible with cheese or on a charcuterie board.
5. Use frozen fruit. Frozen strawberries and rhubarb work great for this recipe – no need to thaw first. Just toss them straight into the pot. Cooking time may be a few minutes longer.
6. Refrigerator jam. If you’re going to use it within 2 weeks, just store it in the fridge. Same recipe, no freezing required.

This jam is so much more than just a toast topper – here are some of my favourite ways to use it:

• Spread on warm Easy Sandwich Bread toast with a little butter
• Spooned over scones, biscuits, or pancakes for a special weekend breakfast
• Swirled into Greek yogurt with granola for an easy breakfast or snack
• Spooned over waffles or French toast
• Layered into No-Bake Cheesecake or as a topping for ice cream
• Used as a filling for thumbprint cookies, layer cakes, or tarts
• Spread on a peanut butter sandwich for a homemade PB&J upgrade
• Spooned over a cheese board with brie, goat cheese, or sharp cheddar

In the fridge – Once cooled, store the jam in an airtight mason jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

In the freezer – This jam keeps beautifully in the freezer for up to 6 months. Make sure the jar is completely cool before transferring to the freezer, and leave a little headspace at the top of the jar to allow for expansion as it freezes.

To thaw – Move the jam from the freezer to the fridge and let it thaw overnight. Once thawed, use within 2 weeks.

A note on canning – this recipe as written is a refrigerator or freezer jam. If you’d like to make it shelf-stable, follow a tested water-bath canning process from a trusted canning resource.

If you love this jam, you’re going to want to try these other easy homemade spreads:

• Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam
• Healthy Blueberry Chia Jam
• Easy Strawberry Chia Seed Jam
• 3-Ingredient Chia Seed Raspberry Jam
• Best Ever Black Currant Jam
• Homemade Apple Butter
• Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
• Strawberry Rhubarb Skillet Cobbler