05/24/2022
Rhubarb BBQ sauce and rhubarb syrup!
UPDATE: By popular demand, here are the recipes that I followed. Happy canning!
Rhubarb BBQ Sauce:
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/rhubarbecue-homemade-rhubarb-barbecue-sauce/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_smartloop&utm_content=smartloop&utm_term=20933530
Ingredients
8 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
3 ½ cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups chopped raisins
½ cup chopped white onion
½ cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity or substitute white vinegar)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
Instructions
Prepare your canner, jars and lids. Wash your jars and bands in hot, soapy water, rinse and bring to a simmer in your water bath canner to sterilize. Always use new lids for safe preservation.
Combine rhubarb, brown sugar, raisins, onion, vinegar, salt and spices in a large, stainless steel pot and bring to a boil on high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium/medium-high and boil gently, stirring frequently until ingredients break down and form into a thick sauce.
Use an immersion blender to blend sauce until smooth (or omit this part if you don't mind a few chunks of rhubarb and raisins in your sauce).
Ladle into hot Mason jars leaving ½-inch headspace at the top. Slide a knife around the inner "edge" of the jar to remove any air bubbles. Adjust headspace as needed. Wipe rims, place lids on top and screw bands on.
Place jars in the canner and bring water to a boil. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, then turn heat off, remove lid and let cool in your canner for another 5 minutes. Remove jars and allow to cool completely before storing.
Rhubarb Syrup:
(Adapted from the Food in Jars cookbook by Marisa McClellan.) This recipe made 8 pints. The last pint I split into two half-pint jars and put one in the fridge for immediate use.
5lbs rhubarb, rough chopped to 1/2 inch
9 cups water
7 1/2 cups sugar (yes, you HAVE to use this much)
Prepare jars, lids and rings for water bath canning. Keep jars hot while completing the recipe.
Combine rhubarb and water in a large pot, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes until the rhubarb releases all its color and is completely broken down. The mixture may thicken slightly.
Place a large colander over top of a large bowl, line the colander with a cotton towel or close weave cheesecloth. Place a second finer strainer over top of the cheese cloth. Pour the rhubarb into the strainer, stirring to extract as much juice as you can, BUT don’t press the pulp too hard or you’ll end up with cloudy syrup. The cheesecloth over the first strainer catches any little bits that get pressed through.
Return the juice to the pot and add the sugar. Bring to a boil, skimming off the foam as you go. The mixture will darken slightly as the sugar dissolves. Once a boil is reached and the sugar dissolves it’s ready to can.
Fill hot jars with hot mixture, leave 1/2 inch head space. Process pints 20 minutes in a hot water bath canner. Remove jars from the canner and leave to rest undisturbed for 24 hours.