I don’t know, whenever I have a recipe that includes the phrase “add a 3oz package of jello” I just feel like a cheater.  I mean really-what “from scratch” cook can hold their head up proudly while using jello to fake strawberries?

But the fact is-strawberries are NOT in season locally at the same time as rhubarb.  And using an inexpensive box of Strawberry Jello really does make a tasty, quick and easy jam.

Photo by Laurie Nadeau

Never made jam before~that’s ok, this is a super simple one to start with!  Don’t do canning, don’t worry!  You can just freeze it instead.  So-what are you waiting for?

Cheater’s Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

(freezer jam or boiling water bath canned)

Ingredients:
7-8 C of rhubarb cut into 1 inch chunks
3 cups of sugar to taste
1- 3 oz pkg strawberry Jell-O

Directions:

1.  Wash and cut up rhubarb stalks into half inch pieces and place in a large bowl.

Tangy tart rhubarb mixed with sugar.

2.  Mix sugar in with the rhubarb chunks.   Cover & let sit for at least an hour until the juices come out of the rhubarb.

Look at all that liquid that just steeped out of the rhubarb.

3.  Stir in the jello into the rhubarb juice mixture.

3.  Cook rhubarb/jello mixture over medium high heat, stirring and mashing a bit until it is soft and the pieces of rhubarb have mostly disintegrated.

This is what it looks like when you start.

And this is what it looks like when it is done.

(note: if you want you can cook the rhubarb to mush first THEN add the jello and heat it through.  Your choice.)

5.  At this point you can pour into freezer containers for freezer jam OR can in a hot water bath (1/2 inch of headspace, 10 minutes)

Yields about 3 pints

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Tagged as: canning, jam, recipe, Rhubarb, strawberry

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