Raspberry Rhubarb Jam (Small-Batch)

Raspberry rhubarb jam is made by simmering raspberries and chopped rhubarb with sugar, lemon juice, and a little salt until the fruit breaks down and the mixture thickens. There’s no added pectin in this small-batch recipe, so the jam sets by cooking off excess moisture and reaching 220ºF (105ºC) on an instant-read thermometer.

Updated May 2026 with expanded notes and clearer instructions.

This raspberry rhubarb jam is one of my favourite seasonal recipes. I made the version shown here with frozen raspberries, which works well, but the jam is especially good with fresh, ripe summer berries.

I like small-batch jams because they’re manageable, but also because fruit is expensive and I don’t always want to commit several pints to one recipe. This gives me enough jam to enjoy for a week or two, without turning it into a full preserving project.

Ingredients for Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

Ingredient Notes

• Lemon Juice: I use freshly squeezed lemon juice for all of my recipes.
• Raspberries: Fresh or frozen raspberries both work well. Use local, in-season raspberries when you can, but frozen berries are a good year-round option.
• Rhubarb: Fresh or frozen chopped rhubarb can be used.
• Salt (Table): I use table salt for all of my recipes.
• Sugar (Granulated): Regular granulated sugar is used here. Since this is a no-pectin jam, don’t reduce it too much or the jam may not thicken properly.

It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavour may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Lemon Juice: Use 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice in place of the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Salt (Table): Swap the table salt for ⅛ teaspoon of fine sea salt.
• Sugar (Granulated): Use ⅓ cup (67 g) of berry sugar or caster sugar in place of the granulated sugar.

Recipe Variations for Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

• Cinnamon: ¼ teaspoon, ground, added with the fruit before boiling
• Ginger: 1 teaspoon, freshly grated, added to the pot with the raspberries and rhubarb
• Lavender: ¼ teaspoon, culinary dried lavender, tied in a small piece of cheesecloth and simmered with the jam for the final 2 to 3 minutes, then removed before cooling
• Lime Zest: ½ teaspoon, finely grated, added near the end of cooking
• Pepper (Black or White): 1 small pinch, freshly cracked or ground, added during the final 2 minutes of cooking
• Rose Water: ¼ teaspoon, stirred in off the heat before cooling
• Star Anise: 1 whole pod, simmered with the fruit and removed before jarring

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

How To Make Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

STEP 1. Place the raspberries and chopped rhubarb in a medium-sized pot.

STEP 2. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and salt, then stir to combine.

STEP 3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer until the fruit breaks down and the jam reaches 220ºF, or 105ºC.

STEP 4. Carefully spoon the hot jam into a clean heatproof jar, then let it cool completely before covering and storing.

Recipe Notes

• For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
• Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements and an instant-read thermometer to check when the jam reaches 220ºF, or 105ºC.
• To switch to gram measurements, click “Metric grams” in the ingredients section of the recipe card.
• If you don’t have a thermometer, spoon a little jam onto a cold plate and let it sit for a minute to check if it thickens.
• The jam will look looser while hot, so don’t keep cooking it past the proper temperature just because it hasn’t fully set yet.

Storage for Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

• Store the cooled jam in a clean, airtight glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze the jam in a freezer-safe container or jar, leaving room at the top for expansion.
• This recipe hasn’t been tested for water-bath canning, and is intended as a refrigerator or freezer jam only. If you’d like to make a larger batch for shelf-stable storage, use a tested rhubarb jam canning recipe from a trusted preserving source and follow the current home canning safety guidelines.