Rhubarb jam: intensely tart rhubarb balanced with delicately sweet honey

Rhubarb Jam Made With Honey

Homemade rhubarb and honey jam
Homemade rhubarb and honey jam

With spring comes rhubarb

A prairie winter gives way to an invigorating (and sometimes it seems sudden) spring, turning our yards, gardens, fields and wild spaces into wonderfully growing spaces.  I love that the appearance of different flowers and garden produce mark the days, not in a calendar way, but in a special measuring of natures time within each year.  It is dandelion, marsh marigold, asparagus and rhubarb time right now.   It is rhubarb cake, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb pie, rhubarb relish and rhubarb jam time.

Making this very simple rhubarb jam brings me such fond memories of Alvera Wendell (Tim’s mother).  As honey was always readily available in her house, Alvera cooked and baked with honey but in her eyes honey was also an all-purpose topping for other foods.  Honey went in all kinds of beverages and topped a variety of foods from canned tomatoes to sauerkraut to ice-cream.  We all miss you Gramma Wendell!

Slice the freshly picked rhubarb
Slice the freshly picked rhubarb
After mixing the ingredients, boil for 20 minutes
After mixing the ingredients, boil for 20 minutes

Ingredients

5 cups rhubarb
1 – 398 ml can crushed pineapple and juice
3 cups raw honey
1 – 170g pkg  Strawberry Jello

Preparation

Combine rhubarb, honey and pineapple.

Boil gently for 20 minutes.

Stir in Jello.

Stir until dissolved.

Pour in hot, sterilized jars and seal.

The set will be firmer when chilled.

Refrigerate after opening.

"Granmma" Wendell being danced in the kitchen by her son, Miles
“Gramma” Wendell being danced in the kitchen by her son, Miles circa 1980

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12 comments

  1. Elsbeth Dormuth

    Great recipe, Is. Thanks for the “sweet” story too.

    1. Isabel Wendell

      Thanks El! Hope it is rhubarb and asparagus time at your house too.

  2. Just made this! I love how easy it was and using local honey and rhubarb. I probably used closer to 2 cups honey, but I was approximating the amounts because I couldn’t be bothered to cut the rhubarb into small enough pieces and I didn’t want to waste precious honey on the side of a measuring cup and it still turned out great – thanks for sharing!

    1. Isabel Wendell

      Hi Susan. I love that you made this recipe your own…the right amount of sweetness for you. We are on our second batch of the year.

  3. And egg noodles.

    1. Isabel Wendell

      Yes! Honey on egg noodles!

  4. What of you don’t have access to raw honey? Can I use regular, liquid honey?

    1. Isabel Wendell

      Hello Deborah. I am sure that you could use any kind of sweetener, and just adjust the amount to your taste, as the Jello powder sets the jam. Wendell Estate Honey, or other mild flavoured honey, allows the fruit flavours to shine while stronger flavoured sweeteners would influence the flavour of the jam.

  5. Lydia Steciuk

    Can’t wait to make this!

    1. Isabel Wendell

      It is so easy and so good!

  6. Love this recipe ! Thanks Isabel

    1. Isabel Wendell

      We love it to!

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