Canning Rhubarb (How to Preserve Rhubarb)

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Canning rhubarb it’s really easy! Just a few ingredients and you can enjoy preserved rhubarb sauce throughout the year.

Canned rhubarb

Canning rhubarb sauce is one of my favorite ways of preserving rhubarb “for the winter”. My grandma used to say that everything that’s canned is for the winter, but we actually enjoy different kinds of preserves at any time of the year.

You can always freeze the rhubarb and use it to make cakes, pies, or desserts when it’s not in season anymore, but this canned rhubarb makes a ready dessert. You open a jar, and you can eat it with a spoon directly from the jar. It is that good!!! Really!!! And learn What to Do with Rhubarb? (Bake, Cook, Preserve) – a full article all about dealing with rhubarb.

Sweet and tart, soft and saucy, incredibly delicious. Or you can use it to make other desserts, like the rhubarb crisp with apples and oatmeal or the rhubarb apple crumble.

You can top other desserts or puddings with it; you can make trifles; you can mix it with Greek yogurt or quark. Amazing! Or you can enjoy it with a dollop of whipped cream.

How to preserve rhubarb?

Quantities:

Rhubarb:

• How much you want to can is really up to you. You can make just a few jars or, if you have a huge bush in your garden, you can make lots and lots of jars.
• 450 g/ 1 lb rhubarb = about 3 cups raw chopped = about 2 cups cooked
• 1800 g / 4 lbs = about 12 cups raw chopped = about 8 cups cooked

Rhubarb-sugar ratio:

• For each 450/ 1 lb, you will need 150 g/ 5.3 oz/ ¾ cup granulated sugar.
• For 1800 g/ 4 lbs raw rhubarb I used 600 g/ 1.3 lbs/ 3 cups granulated sugar.
• The sugar amount is not a must; sugar is not what preserves the rhubarb in this recipe.
• You can use less sugar, use to taste.
• You can even leave it unsweetened, but out of the experience, I know that unsweetened canned rhubarb is not exactly a joy. You will sweeten it anyway if you want to be able to eat it.
• But the unsweetened sort can be used in savory recipes.
• The amount of sugar I used is exactly what we like, sweet yet slightly tart sauce, definitely a joy to eat.

How to can rhubarb?

• Remove and discard the leaves; they are poisonous!
• Next, wash the stalks and remove the knobbly ends.
• Chop into pieces, about 1.5–2 cm/ 0.6-08-inches thick.
• Place in a large pot and add the sugar. (1)
• Let stand until some liquid is released, about 20-30 minutes.
• Bring to a boil, stirring often.
• As soon as it boils, turn off the heat. If you cook it for longer, the pieces will break. (2)
• Pack immediately into sterilized and still hot jars, leaving about 3 cm/ ½-inch headspace. (3)
• Make sure that each jar contains roughly equal amounts of rhubarb and liquid. (4)
• Wipe the rims of the jars with kitchen paper. Be thorough; otherwise, the jars will get moldy.
• Put the lids on.
• Process in a water bath for about 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
• If you have a canner, use that according to its instructions.

Canning rhubarb without special equipment

• I don’t have any special canning equipment. Still, I can a lot.
• I use a huge pot.
• Place a folded, clean kitchen towel on the bottom of the pot.
• Place the jars in the pot making sure that they don’t touch each other.
• Fill with boiling water, covering the jars by at least 5 cm/ 2 inches.
• Bring to a rolling boil and start measuring the time from this moment.
• Turn off the heat.
• Ladle enough water out of the pot so that you can grab the jars. Use oven mitts to protect your hands.
• Place the jars on kitchen towels.
• Leave to cool completely and check if they are sealed. If any of the jars is not sealed (it can happen), place them in the fridge and consume them within a week or so.

More canning recipes?

• Zucchini Pickles – Canning Zucchini Sweet Sour
• How to Preserve Cherries – Low Sugar
• How to Make Cherry Butter
• Homemade Blueberry Sauce – How to Preserve Blueberries
• Cherry Sauce – With Fresh, Frozen or Canned Cherries
• How to Preserve Apricots in Jars – Low-Sugar