If you will be canning the jam, Prepare a canner, jars, and lids. Wash your jars and lids. Sterilize your jars in a large pot filled with water. Bring the water to almost a simmer over medium heat. Keep the jars in the simmering water until you are ready to fill them. Use a jar lifter to remove them from the water when you are ready to fill them, dumping the hot water back into the pot when you remove each jar from the water. Right before you are ready to can, put your lids in a small pot or bowl with hot, but not boiling, water. Put some additional white vinegar in a small bowl alongside a clean washcloth or paper towel. Keep the water in your canning pot at a simmer while you fill your jars. See The The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving for additional guidance.

Place a saucer with 5 metal spoons on a plate and place it in the freezer.

Peel and core the apples, but reserve the peels and the core.

Use a piece of cheesecloth big enough to form a pouch to place the peels, seeds, and core and tie it closed.

Shred the apples using a grater or the grater on your food processor. I found the food processor much easier and more efficient.

Place the orange juice and the grated apples in a wide bottom pan, covered, and heat on low until the apples are soft, about 15-20 minutes. Check from time to time to make sure your heat is not too high; basically, you want to 'melt' the apple into the orange juice. (I used my jam pan, which doesn't have a lid. Instead, I just placed the lid of another pan into my jam pan to keep the moisture in.)

While your apples are cooking down, clean and hull your strawberries.

Working in batches, place some strawberries into a bowl or pie plate and use a potato masher, large spoon, or the bottom of a glass to mash the berries. (No matter how careful you are, you will likely get strawberry juice sprayed on yourself. Dress appropriately!)

Make sure to collect all the juice from your mashed berries and add the juice and the berries to your cooked-down apples, along with the rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, and your little pouch of apple peels/cores/seeds.

Bring mixture to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat and let boil, frequently stirring for about 15-20 minutes or until jam sets.

To Test For Doneness

Put a small dollop of jam on one of your frozen teaspoons and return it to the freezer for 1-2 minutes until the bottom of the spoon is cool.

If when you push it with your finger, it wrinkles a bit, then it is done.

If the gel stage has been reached, skim off any foam.

To Water Bath Process

Spoon your jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Remove air bubbles and wipe the rim.

Center lid on the jar

Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.

Place jars in a canner, making sure they are completely covered with water.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil

Boil for 10 minutes

Turn the heat off, remove the lid, and let sit for 5 minutes

Carefully remove jars with a jar lifter and place them on a rack where they can be undisturbed for 24 hours.

Refrigerate any jars if their lids don't pop down.