Rhubarb Orange Jam
Rhubarb Orange Jam is a bright, tangy spring preserve made with fresh rhubarb, real orange juice, and thin slivers of peel for extra citrus depth. It cooks quickly, sets reliably with boxed pectin, and is perfect for stocking the pantry with a jar that tastes like warm weather.
Servings: 48 servings, makes about 6 half pint jars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs rhubarb chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 medium oranges juice to measure 1 cup, plus peel from half an orange cut into thin slivers, pith removed
- 1 box powdered pectin 1.75 ounces, about 6 Tbsp
- 6 cups sugar
Instructions
- If canning, prepare a waterbath canner, jars, lids and rings before you start making the jam.
- Wash rhubarb and oranges. Trim rhubarb ends and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Halve oranges, remove seeds, and juice to measure 1 cup. From half of one orange, remove peel, scrape away pith, and slice peel into thin slivers.
- Combine rhubarb, orange juice, and orange peel slivers in a large saucepan. Cover and simmer about 3 minutes, until rhubarb is tender.
- Stir in pectin and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim foam if needed.
- Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, and apply two-piece lids to fingertip tight.
- Process jars 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner, or 15 minutes if above 6,000 feet in elevation. Cool 12 to 24 hours, then check seals and store.
Notes
Measure the orange juice after juicing and use exactly 1 cup for consistent results.
Scraping away the pith helps prevent bitterness, since pith can be harsh when concentrated in preserves.
Jam can take 24 to 48 hours to fully set after canning.
Best texture comes from stirring constantly during the hard boil so the jam doesn’t scorch.
Low Sugar Pectin: You can use any amount of sugar if you substitute in a low sugar pectin (like sure jel low sugar in the pink box). The recipe, as written, will work for full sugar pectin. If you'd like a less sweet option, try low sugar pectin. Since rhubarb is tart, I'd recommend using at least 1 to 2 cups of sugar. Low sugar pectin also works well with honey or maple.
Nutrition
Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.1mg