Strawberry rhubarb jam works so well because both fruits ripen at the same time in May and complement each other in flavour: 400 g of sweet strawberries against 800 g of tart rhubarb. This 1:2 ratio is no accident. It is exactly why the jam is neither cloyingly sweet nor unpleasantly sour. In the Thermomix®, the whole process takes 25 minutes, with no stirring and no splashing.
We make this jam every year in May, when the rhubarb is still young and firm and the first local strawberries arrive. If you miss the season, frozen fruit works too. The cooking time increases slightly because the fruit releases more liquid, but the result is still very good.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 5 ✓
- 1 vanilla pod
- 450 g 2:1 preserving sugar (jam sugar)
- 400 g strawberries
- 800 g rhubarb
- 100 g lemon juice
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Pulverise the sugar.
Add the vanilla pod and preserving sugar to the mixing bowl and pulverise for 10 sec / speed 10.
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2
Prepare the strawberries and rhubarb.
Wash and hull the strawberries. Wash the rhubarb, trim the ends and cut into pieces.
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3
Cook the jam.
Add all ingredients to the mixing bowl, chop for 5 sec / speed 7, then cook for 15 min / 98°C / speed 2.
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4
Fill the jars.
Fill the jam into sterilised jars and leave them upside down for 5 minutes.
Tip: Make sure you fill the jam into sterilised jars. We show you how to sterilise jars in the Thermomix® in our dedicated guide.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why the 400 g strawberries to 800 g rhubarb ratio is right
Many recipes use equal parts. We tried that too. The result is either too sweet or the rhubarb barely comes through. At 1:2, the tartness stays noticeable without being sharp. The strawberry provides the colour and the aroma, while the rhubarb gives balance and a pleasant bite on the finish.
The 2:1 preserving sugar is exactly right for this ratio: 450 g of jam sugar to 1,200 g of fruit. That is significantly less sugar than a standard preserving sugar, yet the jam still sets firmly because rhubarb contains a lot of pectin. If you want to cut calories, xylitol-based 2:1 preserving sugar works just as well in the Thermomix®.
Where jam-making in the mixing bowl can go wrong
Jam does not set
This usually happens when the fruit brings too much water, for example frozen strawberries that were not drained beforehand. The 100 g of lemon juice in the recipe helps lower the pH and activate the setting power of the sugar. If the jam still seems too liquid after cooking, do a set test. Drop a small amount onto a cold plate and wait. If it sets, the jam is ready. If not, cook for another 3 to 5 minutes at the same setting.
Our solution: Let the rhubarb drain briefly after cutting. With frozen strawberries, thaw them first and pour away the liquid before adding them to the mixing bowl.
Jam splashes during cooking
At 98°C on speed 2 this should not be an issue. The Thermomix® stirs the mixture continuously so it heats evenly and does not catch on the bottom. If the mixing bowl is too full, there can be splashing around the lid insert. This recipe yields 4 jars of 250 ml each, roughly 1 litre of mixture, which is perfectly manageable in the 2.2-litre mixing bowl.
Jars not sterilised
This is the most common mistake when making preserves. If the jars are not clean enough, mould will form no matter how well the jam turned out. We always sterilise our preserving jars directly in the Thermomix®. We explain how to do this in our guide on sterilising jars in the Thermomix®.
With vanilla, ginger or cardamom
With vanilla extract instead of a vanilla pod: If you do not have a whole pod to hand, replace it with one teaspoon of homemade vanilla extract or two teaspoons of Thermomix® vanilla sugar. The flavour is slightly more delicate, but the difference is minimal.
With more rhubarb: If you want a more pronounced tartness, increase the rhubarb to 900 g and reduce the strawberries to 300 g. The cooking time stays the same.
With ginger: Pulverise a piece of fresh ginger (about 20 g) together with the vanilla pod in the first step. It gives the jam a gentle heat that pairs beautifully with cheese.
Pure strawberry jam: If you want to use only strawberries, we have a dedicated recipe for strawberry jam with the Thermomix®, where we also explain whether pectin from the preserving sugar or added pectin works better.
12 months in a cool dark place, 4 weeks in the fridge once opened
Stored in a cool, dark place the jam keeps for up to 12 months. The key conditions are clean working practices and sterilised jars. Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge, where it will last for 4 weeks. Freezing is not necessary, but it is possible if you make a very large batch.
Strawberry jam and basic preserve recipes as a cluster
Goes well with: Pancakes and quark.
The combination of strawberry and rhubarb is not just for spreading on bread. We also use the jam as a filling in biscuits or as a topping on pancakes. If you enjoy making preserves, our basic preserve recipe in the Thermomix® covers all the techniques for other fruits. And if you want to use rhubarb in a different way, our Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade with the Thermomix® is another May favourite.
More rhubarb recipes:
- Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade Thermomix®
- Rhubarb Mug Cake
- Rhubarb Vanilla Liqueur Thermomix®
- Strawberry Rhubarb Gin
