Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Food blogging conferences are all kinds of crazy.

I just got back from BlogHer Food and I’m still recovering from the trip to Seattle. We saw rain, sun, crazy clouds, and hundreds of foodies taking over the city for the weekend.

If you’ve never been to a food blogger conference, just imagine the wackiest and busiest weekend – ever.

After going to a few in the last 3 years, I’ve figured out some things to do and not to do.

Do:

  • Wear comfortable shoes – you’ll be walking, a lot.
  • Be gutsy and talk to people. Even if you’re shy, like I am with new people. Just say hi. If the other person is shy too, this breaks the ice. If they’re not, it still gets you talking.
  • Bring a jacket. I’m always freezing in the hotel or conference center.
  • See someone you recognize and you love their blog? Go tell them. It’s nice to let people know and such a fun thing to hear.
  • Expect that you’ll call people by their blog names on accident. It happens.
  • Check out as much as the host city as you can – it’s always worth it.
  • Under-pack. I can never actually do this, but seriously – pack as little as you can to save room for swag, prizes, and souvenirs.

Don’t:

  • Expect to sleep much. I averaged 4 hours and am feeeeeeling it today.
  • Forget to have full meals. I know – this sounds totally stupid when you’re at a food blogging conference but a lot of the breaks and parties are mostly snacks and appetizers. Head into town, grab some food, enjoy it all.
  • Be surprised with the drama. Anytime you get 500+ bloggers, mostly ladies, together, it’s going to happen. Remember that you’re not in high school anymore and just be nice to everyone.

The most important things: Have fun. Make friends and keep up with ’em. Get actual phone numbers or addresses. Share a beer or a glass of wine or soda and get to know them, if you have the chance. It’s hard to find quality time during the weekend, but it’s  totally worth it if you can.

One of the best things about this last conference was that I found some bloggers who love to can just as much as I do. Talking jam and tomatoes and green beans makes me feel like such an old lady, but I love it.

Nick and I finally had enough of our own strawberries this year for me to make a batch of strawberry rhubarb jam and I am completely obsessed with it. I only got 4 and 1/2  jars out of this batch, so you can bet I’ll be hoarding these until next Spring when I can make more.

Best breakfast this spring: homemade waffles topped with Kerrygold Butter and Strawberry Rhubarb Jam. Coffee on the side.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Makes: 4-5 half pints

Ingredients:

  • 2 and 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 2 and 1/2 cups rhubarb, sliced
  • 1.5 cups agave syrup
  • 3 Tbsp low sugar pectin

Directions:

  1. Place the strawberries, rhubarb, agave, and pectin in a large pot and bring to a boil.
  2. Cook on medium, stirring, keeping the heat up enough so the fruit mixture stays at a low, rolling boil.
  3. While the fruit mixture is heating, place jar lids in a small pan of water and simmer. Get your jars and lids ready for canning and have a large pot of water heating on the stove top.
  4. Once the berries have mostly broken down and the mixture is thickened slightly, remove from the heat.
  5. Fill each jar and leave 1/2 inch headspace, place a lid on the jar and secure the ring.
  6. Process in a water-bath canner for 12 minutes.
  7. Remove from canner and let the jars sit, unmoved, for a few hours until they have cooled and the lids have popped.

22 comments

  1. I love the looks of this recipe! Thank you.

  2. I love strawberry rhubarb anything! This looks wonderful – and fairly easy too! I think I’ll have to try it :)

  3. My favorite! So great with toast :)

  4. It sounds like it was such an amazing conference!

  5. I love your tips! I’ve never been to a food blogger conference but hoping to one day!

    I canned my own jam for the first time this year and love it. We have some rhubarb growing in our backyard, but not the strawberries (I planted one tiny berry plant – fingers crossed – haha!) and love the looks of your jam. Will definitely try this one next time I get some extra strawberries to go with the rhubarb!

  6. My mom and I love to can and when I moved she kept all her canning stuff and I didn’t have anything.

    About 7 years ago I was at a garage sale – got to talking to a lady when I turned the corner and there was a giant box of everything you could possibly think of to can – the rubber tongs, canning pots, dozens and dozens of various size Mason jars – she only wanted $20 bucks for the whole thing! She said her daughters thought canning was old fashioned. Lucky me!

  7. I have never made my own jam. And that needs to change right now. This looks amazing!

  8. Brandi, this jam is stunning!! I made some strawberry rhubarb jam and eat it every morning. Great tips on food blogging!

  9. Great do and don’t tips! Isn’t is silly, no matter how old you may be, girls will be girls and drama is likely to ensue somehow?!

    P.S. The jam looks tasty! I’ve never tried rhubarb but always thought of it as “red celery” :P

  10. The color of that jam is beautiful! I am sure it is delicious too. Good luck with another season of canning. I am pretty sure that your green bean posts last year are the reason I planted a garden this year. If I am lucky enough to get a sizable harvest, I might be making a road trip to the country for a lesson!

    • come on down! :) our peas are just starting to come in, and then we’ll have 4 more rows of green beans again this year. gulp.

  11. love love LOVE strawberry rhubarb!! they’re like the best marriage of flavors for jam haha :) looks good, Brandi!!

  12. I totally need to learn how to can. I just made freezer jam for the first time last weekend, but I’m so nervous to actually can it! I’m afraid I”ll die of botulism.

  13. Wheeee, going strawberry picking tomorrow (and Sunday). Yay jam!

  14. I’m so jealous that you went to BlogHer! I think it would be so fun to go to one of these conferences but airfare from Germany would be pretty expensive. Boo!

    I love the color of your jam! I still don’t know how to can stuff but I want to learn. And those waffles look amazing!

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