Rhubarb Jelly

Before summer berries ripen and fall grapes plump, rhubarb plants become dense with colorful stalks hidden under fans of large green leaves. The plants bolt and bloom as the days lengthen and temperatures rise, making cool spring days the perfect time to make a batch of rhubarb jelly.

We use pectin for rhubarb jelly because rhubarb is technically a vegetable and low in natural pectin, unlike berries, which gel with little more than heat and sugar. When you make jelly, you remove the solids and use just the juice. A package of commercial pectin helps the juice set into a solid, slightly wobbly jelly faster and more reliably than the jelly would without it, and the rose-colored jelly has a fresher flavor.

Pectin comes in liquid and powdered forms, but you can’t use them interchangeably and expect the same results. Rhubarb jelly needs the gelling power of pectin and lots of sugar to overcome extreme natural tartness. Liquid pectin best balances the needs in this recipe, producing a spoonable preserve that isn’t overly stiff or gloppy.

How to Make Rhubarb Jelly

Rhubarb and other high-acid foods are great for canning. Before you begin, read the recipe and instructions and follow them precisely. Altering a canning recipe or following outdated canning practices can affect the food safety of your home-canned goods. The National Center for Home Food Preservation provides free resources, safe canning guidelines and tested recipes.

Set up your canning station before you heat the rhubarb juice so that you’re ready to fill the jars as soon as the jelly is thick and hot. Besides the recipe’s ingredients, you’ll need basic canning supplies like a water-bath canner with a lid and rack as well as half-pint canning jars with lids and rings. A canning funnel, jar lifter and other tools make home canning easier and safer. Half-fill the canner with water and bring it to a simmer; keep the clean empty jars hot until you need them.

The processing time listed in this rhubarb jelly recipe is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Add one minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.

Rhubarb Jelly Ingredients

• Rhubarb: Rhubarb stalks range from ruby red to pale green, but there’s no flavor difference in red vs. green rhubarb. Choose a bright ruby-colored variety for a naturally rosy jelly, or add a few drops of red food coloring if the juice seems too washed out.
• Sugar: You might bake with all types of sugar, but basic granulated sugar gives the best results when making jelly. Use the full amount called for in the rhubarb jelly recipe; reducing the amount will make the jelly overly tart and not set up correctly.
• Liquid pectin: When combined with the sugar and the naturally acidic rhubarb juice, two 3-ounce pouches of liquid fruit pectin will set 3-1/2 cups of juice. Liquid pectin can lose its gelling strength once it passes its best-before date.

Directions

Step 1: Separate the rhubarb solids and juice

Grind the chopped rhubarb in a food processor or grinder. Line a strainer with four layers of cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Place the rhubarb into the strainer, cover the ground pieces with the edges of the cheesecloth, and let stand for 30 minutes or until the liquid measures 3-1/2 cups.

Editor’s Tip: Use closely woven cheesecloth so the rhubarb solids don’t slip through. A reusable fine-mesh jelly bag suspended over a bowl might strain the juice even more quickly, since it has a larger surface area. Dampen the cheesecloth to help the juices start flowing.

Step 2: Sweeten the juice

Pour the measured juice into a Dutch oven. Add the sugar and, if desired, food coloring.

Step 3: Boil and set the juice

Bring the sweetened juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add the pectin and bring the liquid back to a full rolling boil. Boil the mixture for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let the jelly stand for a few minutes. Use a large spoon to skim off any foam.

Editor’s Tip: If your pouches of liquid pectin suggest combining the ingredients in a different order, follow those directions instead. Different brands may recommend slightly different processes for the best results.

Step 4: Fill the canning jars

Carefully ladle the hot mixture into hot half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch unfilled headspace at the top. Remove the air bubbles and wipe the jar rims to remove drips. Center the canning lids on the jars and screw on their bands until fingertip tight.

Step 5: Process the jars of jelly

Place the jars into the canner with hot water, ensuring they are entirely covered. Bring the water to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and cool.

Editor’s Tip: Use a canning jar lifter to place the filled jars on a rack in the water-bath canner. Don’t be surprised if the jelly seems more like syrup, even when it’s sealed in jars and cooled. Jelly might take up to two weeks to firm up completely.

Rhubarb Jelly Variations

• Make clearer jelly: When you strain out the rhubarb juice, let it drip naturally through the cheesecloth and avoid pressing down the solids. Pressure might remove more juice, but the jelly will be cloudy unless you strain the juice a second time. Foam left after thickening the jelly also makes it discolored and cloudy. Adding 1/2 teaspoon butter along with the pectin reduces the foam but might cause an off-putting flavor to develop during storage.
• Add strawberries: Use 1-1/2 pounds rhubarb stalks and crush and strain 1-1/2 quarts strawberries to still measure out 3-1/2 cups juice for the recipe. Strawberries are sweeter than rhubarb so you can reduce the sugar by 1 cup, but you still need 6 ounces of liquid pectin.
• Mix in herbs: It is safe to subtly flavor jelly with herbs, spices and other aromatics. Add a sprig of rosemary when you heat the juice and sugar mixture, and then remove the sprig just before you fill the jars. The herb flavor will become stronger if you process the pieces in the jars.
• Give it zing: Instead of an herb, heat the juice mixture with a couple of slices of gingerroot. Remove these just before processing to keep them from overpowering the fruit during storage.

How to Store Rhubarb Jelly

Canned jars of rhubarb jelly must cool completely before you store them so that their vacuum seals form. Once you remove the jars from the canner, space them upright on a towel and leave them untouched for 12 to 24 hours before you check the seal and remove the ring bands. Label and store the sealed jars, without bands, in a cool, dry and dark place. If any jars didn’t seal, store them with their lids and bands in the refrigerator. Cover any opened jars of rhubarb jelly with airtight lids and store them in the fridge.

How long does rhubarb jelly last?

A properly processed rhubarb jelly recipe lasts unopened for at least a year, but it might not have the same bright flavor and color after the first few months. Opened jars last about four weeks in the refrigerator.

Rhubarb Jelly Tips

Is it better to use fresh or frozen rhubarb for jelly?

In learning how to make rhubarb jelly, know you can use fresh or frozen rhubarb. When choosing fresh rhubarb, look for firm stalks with a slight sheen; dried-out or dull stalks will release less juice. Check that frozen chopped rhubarb is free of freezer burn or ice crystals that will dilute the juice. Thaw the rhubarb in a cheesecloth-lined strainer to collect the juice as it softens, and then grind the remaining rhubarb and strain off any additional juice.

How should you use a rhubarb jelly recipe?

Rhubarb jelly’s sweet-tart flavor makes it a delicious replacement for maple syrup on sourdough pancakes or French toast. Use it when baking jelly-topped sugar cookies or in place of strawberry jam in strawberry cheesecake brownies. For an easy appetizer, spread crackers with goat cheese and add a dollop of rhubarb jelly. Play up its sweet flavors in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or its savory ones in a grilled cheese. Use it as a glaze for shrimp, pork or tofu. And, remember, jelly that didn’t set up completely works particularly well in recipes like tangy glazed chicken.