This small batch Raspberry Rhubarb Jalapeno Jam may sound a little crazy, but it’s crazy good. Sweet and spicy with no pectin required.
Does this Raspberry Rhubarb Jalapeno Jam sound crazy to you? That was my thought when I first heard of this combination in a pie. Almost two months ago I went on vacation with my family to Mount Rushmore and stopped at a pie shop. There on the menu was Raspberry Rhubarb Jalapeno Pie. Nobody wanted to share a slice with me, but I knew I couldn’t leave without trying it. Entrigued by its flavors, I took a bite. The heat was just enough to notice but not enough to make you cry for water. As I tweeted about it, my friend Mallory of Fork Vs. Spoon suggested that would make a great jam idea. My wheels started turning, and shortly after returning home, I worked on this Raspberry Rhubarb Jalapeno Jam. Sweet and spicy with just a little tartness, it pairs perfectly with cream cheese for a snack.
As I said, my parents, brother, and I took a road trip to South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore. A very long road trip. We also ventured to Crazy Horse, Custer State Park and Deadwood. The weather was beautiful for the most part, although the one day there were really bad storms with a tornado reported in the area (we weren’t near it).
There was a mini farm where you could feed prairie dogs peanuts.
Badlands, South Dakota. Look at how tiny the road and cars are!
Buffalo and Begging Burrows at Custer State Park. The burrows literally walked up to your vehicle for something to eat.
Buffalo rule the park.
Huge storm rolling in at Custer State Park.
American Indians at Crazy Horse Memorial.
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota. It was best to go early morning before the tour buses got there.
Raspberry Rhubarb Jalapeno Pie from Purple Pie Place
When we were in Custer, we stopped at Purple Pie Place. I accidentally found this place online and knew we had to stop for some pie. Usually it’s cupcakes or ice cream, but this time it was pie. I wanted to share some vacation photos while also sharing a recipe reminiscent of my trip. Originally I wanted to share buffalo burgers, but buffalo meat is quite expensive (almost $11 for one pound!). I opted for this Raspberry Rhubarb Jalapeno Jam instead.
Just like my strawberry jam, this raspberry jam makes only a small batch, roughly 8 ounces, and does not require pectin. There is enough natural pectin in the raspberries that the jam will gel up without any additional ingredients. The best way to serve this is with cream cheese, much like pepper jelly. Although if you want to start your morning with this on toast, you are more than welcome.
To can jam: Feedback from readers said that the heat is subtle with only 1 pepper, so if you want it more prominent, use 2 jalapeno peppers. The seeds and membrane add extra heat, so you can leave those in as well. Use caution and best judgement when canning.
Raspberry Rhubarb Jalapeno Jam (Small Batch, No Pectin)
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Want more fresh fruit recipes?
Small Batch Strawberry Jam (No Pectin)
Honey Peach Jam
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Tart
Liz says
Thank you for the nice recipes. Have a great week.
Carla Cardello says
Thanks, you too Liz!
Misha Hunter says
Beautiful pictures! I am very interested in trying this Raspberry Rhubarb Jalapeno recipe. I always am expected to make and give my Hot Pepper Jelly in my Christmas baskets but this year I may switch it up and give this a try. Thanks for sharing!
Carla Cardello says
Oh this would be a nice change for your gifts!
Becca from It's Yummi! says
I’m so happy that you’re sharing more of your awesome photos from the trip. SO cool! This jam looks seriously delicious, too. Love that I don’t need to pull out any of the canning equipment (that I don’t own) ;)
Carla Cardello says
Yup, no canning required! Either refrigerate or just eat all at once ;)
Rachel says
Y’know, I have lived in SoDak for going on 10 years now, and STILL have not been out to the Black Hills or the Badlands. :) One of these days I’ll get out there–And I will check out that pie place! I am curious about that jam–I’m thinking it would be good on a pork tenderloin sandwich….
Carla Cardello says
Oh you really should go! Very beautiful, especially on a nice cloudy day. And oh I love your thinking because I wouldn’t have guessed making a sandwich with it.
Samantha @ Carpe Cibus says
This recipe makes me wish I still had raspberry bushes in my yard! And your trip looks phenomenal! Sometimes the best souvenirs are the foods the trip inspires.
Carla Cardello says
Absolutely! There was another recipe I want to make from my trip. And when I think of past trips, I mainly think of the food lol
Phyllis says
What can you use in place of the Rhubarb?
Carla Cardello says
Rhubarb is very tart, so you can either add an extra tablespoon or two of lemon juice or just leave it out altogether. The jam will still be sweet and spicy without it.
Stacy says
Mmmm! I love a little spicy with my sweet, Carla. Great recipe!
Heather says
This looks delicious! Would it still gel up if you strained the seeds out of it?
Carla Cardello says
A lot of the natural pectin is found in the seeds, so I would guess no. However, I haven’t tried it myself.
Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies says
This flavor combo sounds strangely intriguing. I kind of enjoy interesting combinations, so I definitely need to try this one!
Pati Janssen says
Hi, I was just at the Purple Pie Shop but didn’t try the “raspberry jalapeno rhubarb pie. I purchased the jam at our motel and TSA took it from me at the air port. So I’m going to try your jam recipe. I really want to make the pie. Did you use your basic rhubarb pie recipe and add some of the jam? How did you do it? Thanks Pati
Carla Cardello says
I’m not sure if I understand your question. I do not have a recipe for rhubarb pie (that photo of the slice is what I bought). However, if I had to guess making it, I would make my cherry pie filling (https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2012/06/28/homemade-cherry-pie-filling/) but with raspberries, rhubarb, and jalapeño. At the very end when you stir in those ingredients, I would probably cook at a boil for 5 minutes or until the rhubarb and jalapeño are partially cooked. Again I haven’t made the pie myself but I’m guessing you’ll want the rhubarb and jalapeño cooked a little before baking in a pie.
Angie says
Thank you for sharing! There is also a winery near Rapid City, called Prairie Berry Winery that sells a product called Red Ass Rhubarb, Raspberry Rhubarb & Jalapeno Compote for $12.99 a jar. It is SOOO DELICIOUS!!! You can buy it online but it would be fun (and hopefully cheaper) to make my own! :)
Carla Cardello says
Oh I saw advertisements for that Red Ass Rhubarb wine! I really, really wanted to try it but we didn’t stop. I love anything rhubarb.
Amanda says
Prairie Berry is FANTASTIC!!! And their compote…omnomnom. If you make it out that way again, definitely make a stop in Hill City to visit them and do a wine tasting. If you go in the winter, they MAY also have mulled wine available to try – and that is a must. There is also a brewery next door (Miner Brewing Co.), run by the same winemaker/ brew master. She’s a rock star at flavor combinations. :) We stop by every time we’re out there, which isn’t nearly often enough.
lisa says
This is really good! I made it last week and followed the recipe exact. I am a jalepeno fanatic so the next time I make it I will put at least 2 jalepenos in it and probably leave the seeds of half of one jalepeno. That is just my taste but following the recipe as is, it very delicious. It was really good on a piece of sourdough toast with cream cheese!! THANKS for sharing this recipe! :)
Carla Cardello says
Jalapenos are a hit or miss for me as far as spice level goes, so yes feel free to adjust for your liking! Glad you enjoyed the jam :) A friend suggested using it on a sandwich for lunch (which I may need to try that myself).
Carolyn says
This is so tasty! It’s pretty sweet, and as a jalapeno lover not quite as spicy as I’d like, but I’m planning taking some to a work function, so it’s probably approachable for more palates this way. Any future batches that are staying at home will get double the jalepenos and I think I’ll include some seeds and membranes, just like Lisa, above. Also, I tripled it expecting 3-8oz jars, and got 6, plus some for the fridge in another container. Used 6 pts of raspberries, 4 jalepenos, and about a pound of rhubarb. Don’t know how I got so much more, as I measured as I went, but no complaints here! Thanks for the great recipe!
Carla says
The heat can vary in this jam due to the jalapenos. Some peppers can be really spicy while others are barely mild. Not sure why you got more jam when you tripled the recipe but hey more jam isn’t a bad thing like you said ;) Glad you enjoyed it!
Cory says
Great recipe! This reminded me of the Raspberry Chipotle sauce that they sell at Costco. The first batch I tried, I really couldn’t taste the jalapeno, and I’m not really a hot and spicy gal. I tried another batch with about 3/4 cup jalapeno and it came out much better to my personal taste. I did dice the jalapeno up small, and I did leave the membrane and seeds out. Thank you so much for this recipe, I can’t wait to try this out on cream cheese for an appetizer and also on top of some pork chops.
Carla says
I think the spiciness of the jalapeno depends on your peppers. Some peppers are super hot while others are more mild. It’s always so hard to tell with jalapenos! Thank you for your feedback. Pairing this with pork chops sound divine. Enjoy :)
Nancy says
There is a jalapeno that is much less spicy than another. On a scale of 1-10, the TAM jalapeno scores a 1. The EARLY jalapeno scores 5 out of 10. Again, it can vary from pepper to pepper. The peppers with ‘what looks like scars’ are hotter than peppers that are smooth. All of them start out smooth. The red (ripe) jalapeno is just sweeter.
Carla says
Thanks for the tips!
Pat B. says
Just found this recipe, as I was looking for something to do with all my rhubarb this year. Just made it and the initial taste was great! I had a pretty large jalapeno and used half of the membrane and seeds because my husband enjoys hot food. Wow! pretty good kick I would say. I am bring to a little get together tonight so I can’t wait to hear the reaction. Thanks for posting.
Carla says
It’s really great with cream cheese on crackers. Hope you enjoyed it at your get together!
Jean Reiners says
Thanks for this wonderful recipe and I’m glad you enjoyed your trip to South Dakota! I’ve lived in SD my whole life although I live in southeast SD about 12 miles south of Sioux Falls. We love the Black Hills as well and go out for the Sturgis motorcycle rally. If you ever get a chance you should go to that. It’s the first full week in August.
Carla says
Oh I’ve heard Sturgis! I had a coworker who would bike out there every year. SD really is a beautiful place.
Pat A says
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I had to comment as I live in western South Dakota and am impressed with the great advertising you did for our state. Your pictures are incredible and it is a wonderful place to live. the Purple Pie is pretty neat too!!
Carla says
Glad you enjoy the post! Let me know how the jam turns out.