Name: Canning Rhubarb (How to Preserve Rhubarb)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1800 g/ 4 lbs raw rhubarb (See note); 600 g/ 1.3 lbs/ 3 cups granulated sugar.

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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.

bowl of greek yogurt topped with fruit preserves

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.

bowl of greek yogurt topped with fruit and sauce

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.

preparing rhubarb with sugar for canning

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?

bowl of yogurt with preserved rhubarb on top

Canning Rhubarb (How to Preserve Rhubarb)

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

4.45 from 9 votes

Print Pin Grow Rate

Course: Preserves and Canning Recipes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Adina

Ingredients

▢ 1800 g/ 4 lbs raw rhubarb See note
▢ 600 g/ 1.3 lbs/ 3 cups granulated sugar.

Instructions

Prepare rhubarb:

Remove and discard the leaves. 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. 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. Pack immediately into sterilized and still hot jars, leaving about 3 cm/ ½-inch headspace. Make sure that each jar contains roughly equal amounts of rhubarb and liquid. 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 without special equipment:

Place a folded clean kitchen towel on the bottom of a very large pot. Place the jars in there making sure that they don’t touch each other. Fill with boiling water, covering by at least 5 cm/ 2 inches.
Bring to a rolling boil and start measuring the time from this moment. Remove from the heat. Ladle enough water out of the pot, so that you are able to take out the jars using oven mitts.
Place the jars on kitchen towels and leave to cool completely. Check if they are sealed. If any of the jars is not sealed, place it in the fridge and consume within a week or so.