Rhubarb Recipe Round Up

Depending on which growing zone you’re in, rhubarb season may already be in full force, or it may just be beginning to show up in smallish bundles at the market. Often, the Red Variety of Rhubarb is most popular – that rosy hue just pops in those gorgeous foody posts- so it’s no surprise.

However, did you know that the Green Variety is the more productive one? The color doesn’t seem to have an impact on the flavor or sweetness, so if your family really loves rhubarb, you may want to consider the green variety for your garden. If you prefer your preserves to have a little more redness, Martha Zepp, our local Master Canner suggests that you can add a few cranberries or lingonberries.

Rhubarb weds so nicely with many fruits when it comes to preserves. We were so inspired by the delightful Blubarb Jam recipe from Preserving with Pomona’s Pectin, that we went digging for more Rhubarb deliciousness! Our Rhubarb Recipe Round Up brings you a few of those lovely combinations that we think will be sure to please the pallet and help you put these tasty stalks to good use!

Rhubarb Preserves

Marisa McClellan’s (Food in Jars) generous selection of recipes on her Food in Jars blog is almost always my first stop when it comes to sweet-sided preserves. Sweet Cherry Rhubarb Jam with Pomona’s Pectin brings together the perfect blend of sweet while using less sugar.  Her Honey Sweetened Rhubarb Compote with Ginger is another great one if you’re looking to avoid refined sugar. I made a small batch of this Vanilla Rhubarb Jam last year with my green rhubarb. I was delighted in the taste as well as the way the lighter hue showed off those flecks of vanilla.

We enjoyed this low sugar Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam last year.  Linda Ziedrich, author of The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves, and The Joy of Pickling, shared this Blueberry-Rhubarb Jam recipe with us a couple of seasons ago.

If you’re looking for a more traditional larger batch recipe to deal with a surplus of fresh produce, this Strawberry Rhubarb Jam from Simply Canning will make 6 half-pints.

Frozen Blueberries & Fresh Rhubarb Jam

Linda Ziedrich, shared her blueberry-rhubarb jam recipe with us. Linda is a Master Gardener and a Master Food Preserver and the author of The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves, and The Joy of Pickling. If bags of last year’s blueberries are lurking among the pork chops and pesto in your freezer. Put those berries to use in this recipe, or you can use fresh blueberries too.

Print

Blueberry-Rhubarb Jam

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds blueberries
• 1 pound trimmed rhubarb leaves and tough bases cut off, cut into small pieces
• 3 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. If the berries are frozen, let them thaw.
2. In a broad, heavy-bottomed pan, simmer the blueberries, covered, for about 5 minutes. Press them though the fine disk of a food mill.
3. Combine the berry puree in the pan with the rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high, and boil the mixture, while still stirring frequently, until the rhubarb breaks down and a bit of the jam mounds in a chilled bowl, or until the temperature of the mixture reaches 221 degrees F. This should take no more than 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Skim the foam from the jam, and ladle the jam into six sterilized half-pint mason jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Close the jars, and process them for 5 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

5. Remove the jars to a rack or pad, and let them stand undisturbed for 24 hours, after which time the jam should be well set. Store the jars in a cool, dry, dark place.

Make a Salad

If eating salads and enjoying them more is one of your goals this summer, you might like this Rhubarb Vinaigrette from Diary of a Tomato or this honey-sweetened Rhubarb Vinaigrette from Dinner with Julie. You can streamline your vinaigrette making if you’ve got some of this Rhubarb Syrup on hand.

For Dessert

Need to take a dessert to a potluck? Any of these are sure to be a hit! Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler, Rhubarb Pudding Cake, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bars.

If you want to learn more about growing rhubarb in your garden, read this. Get more tips on preserving rhubarb from the Penn State Extension here.