from Pantry and Palate
I adore rhubarb: rhubarb jam, rhubarb chutney, rhubarb steeped in teas and tisanes, rhubarb in custard pies, rhubarb in pies with strawberry, rhubarb made into cordials – the list goes on and on. When rhubarb stalks are very thin and very pink, I nibble on them dipped into sugar. I find great joy in discovering new recipes for what to do with rhubarb, and so I was just as happy to find a few recipes in my family notebooks.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds rhubarb
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups sugar
1 Tbsp fresh ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon OR 1 (1/2 inch) cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground cloves
1 small onion, cut into rings
Directions
Wash rhubarb in a sink full of cold water. Make sure to cut off any leafy ends, which is where most oxalic acid is located. Cut into ½ inch pieces.
In a pot large enough to accommodate all of your ingredients, add vinegars, spices, salt and sugar, and place over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and then add onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, or just enough to soften the onions.
Add 1 pound of rhubarb to the pot, reserving ½ pound, and cover the pot. Cook for 10 minutes until rhubarb has broken apart.
Turn the heat off and add remaining rhubarb. Cover the pot for 5 minutes and then pour the chutney into a jar or bowl. Chill until ready to serve or follow canning instructions for the mason jars.
TIP: When cooking with rhubarb, try and find stalks of equal thickness, especially when you want the pieces to stay whole. It leads to more consistent cooking times and texture.
Makes 2 jars
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: You can insert other fruit at the end when adding the final ½ pound of rhubarb. Keeping it in season, look for early strawberries…they pair well with the rhubarb for a sweet chutney.
Reprinted with permission from Nimbus Publishingh. Text copyright © 2017, Simon Thibault. Photos copyright © 2017, Noah Fecks. Available through booksellers everywhere. https://nimbus.ca/store/pantry-and-palate.html
