Strawberries and rhubarb are in season and what better way to use them than in this Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Vanilla Jam with Cardamom! Pectin-free and no canning, this is a jam anyone can make!
If you’re a rhubarb fan like I am then you know it’s at the peak of it’s season right now. I swear it has one of the shortest seasons, only lasting from late April until June. By the time you realize it’s in season and pick out something to make with it you can’t find it in the stores anymore. Well you’ll be happy to know that I just saw it in all it’s red glory in the grocery store yesterday and this Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Vanilla with Cardamom is the recipe you need to make with it!
Jam is one of those things I think gets a reputation for being complicated and not worth making. There’s all that chopping, cooking, thickening and canning involved and quite frankly who wants to bother when you can just go buy a jar at the store. I’ll admit that’s typically what I do especially now that you can find so many good quality jams, but man do they get pricey! Anywhere from five to nine dollars or more!
On the other hand if you opt for a cheap brand you wind up with a jar full of sugar and can barely taste the fruit. I also hate how some of them are so gelatinous and come out in a big blob. I prefer to see chunks of fruit in mine and to be able to easily spread or spoon it onto whatever I’m eating. The easy strawberry rhubarb vanilla jam that I made is essentially everything I want in a jam all rolled into one.
The jam uses equal parts fresh strawberries and rhubarb. Since both are in season you might as well use the freshest ingredients. The jam has a little fresh lemon juice to brighten it’s flavor and is sweetened with a modest amount of sugar so that you can taste the fruit, but the tartness of the rhubarb isn’t overwhelming. As far as flavoring the jam goes you could stop there, but I love adding vanilla to a fruit jam and the cardamom was an experiment that turned out to be a delicious addition! Both the vanilla and cardamom add a warm flavor to the strawberry rhubarb jam that almost makes it taste like pie filling. The easy part of the jam is that there isn’t any pectin involved. You simple cook the fruit down until it thickens naturally, pour it into a couple of jars and store them in the refrigerator if you plan to use them quickly or freezer for a later date. Don’t miss out on rhubarb season this year and treat yourself to a couple jars of homemade easy to make jam!
Yields 2 half pint jars
10 minPrep Time
35 minCook Time
45 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound strawberries, washed, hulled and cut in half
- 1 pound rhubarb, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup water
- Juice of half a lemon
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat combine the strawberries, rhubarb, water, lemon juice, sugar and cardamom.
- Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Once the strawberries and rhubarb mixture has reduced by about half use a potato masher or back of a spoon to mash them to the consistency you prefer.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste or extract.
- Pour the jam into two clean jars and cool completely on the counter.
- Cover the jam and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
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