Rhubarb Cooking

Additional Rhubarb Information:
All About Rhubarb | Rhubarb Preparation | Freezing Rhubarb

Stewed Rhubarb | Baked Baked | Rhubarb Jam

Rhubarb can be eaten raw but because of its tartness, it is generally cooked and sweetened first. It can be sweetened with sugar, honey, syrup, or berry preserves. When cooking rhubarb do not use aluminum, iron or copper pans. Rhubarb has high acidity and will react with these types of metals. The reaction will cause the rhubarb to turn a brownish color and can cause the pan to discolor. It is best to use anodized aluminum, non-stick coated aluminum, or enameled cast iron pans. If the rhubarb is being baked, glass bakeware can be used also.

Stewed Rhubarb

Because rhubarb varies in sweetness, it is hard to determine how much sugar is needed. The rhubarb will also sweeten as it cooks. Start out with a small amount of sugar. Once the rhubarb has cooked, more sugar can be added if necessary.

Clean 1 pound of rhubarb and cut into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces. This should produce approximately 3 cups of rhubarb.
Combine 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir until sugar has dissolved.
Add the rhubarb and bring sauce back to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until rhubarb is crisp-tender, approximately 10 minutes.
Taste to see if sauce is the desired sweetness. If it requires additional sugar, add 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time and bring sauce back to a boil to be sure sugar dissolves.
Remove from the heat when sauce is at desired sweetness. Serve as a sauce warm or cold. The sauce can be eaten on its own or it can be served as a topping on other food, such as cake, ice cream, pancakes, and waffles.

Baked Rhubarb

Spread 2 pounds of rhubarb, cut into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces, on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Mix ginger and nutmeg into the sugar until evenly distributed.
Pour the sugar mixture evenly over the rhubarb.
Drizzle with 1/2 cup of orange juice. Pineapple juice can also be used.
Cover baking dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350°F oven. Remove rhubarb from the oven and stir mixture. Put back in the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until rhubarb is tender.
Remove from the oven and serve as a warm sauce on its own or as an accompaniment to other foods, such as meats and fish.

Rubarb Jam

Clean enough rhubarb to produce 5 cups cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Place rhubarb in a large bowl and add 3 cups of sugar.
Stir until the sugar is distributed evenly throughout the rhubarb.
Allow rhubarb to stand for 3 to 5 hours. Stir occasionally.
After the rhubarb and sugar have been allowed to stand for the appropriate amount of time, place them in a large saucepan.
Cook rhubarb to a boil over medium to medium high heat. Once the rhubarb comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and allow to boil for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and add one 3 ounce package of strawberry gelatin. Stir until gelatin has dissolved.
Make sure canning jars are clean and ready to fill before jam is done. The lids should be placed in a small sauce pan with enough water to cover them and brought to a simmer. Leave lids in hot water until placing on jars. Spoon or pour hot jam into pint canning jars
Be sure the top edge of the jar is clean and then seal with canning lids and covers. Screw cover on firmly but do not over tighten. Allow jam to cool completely.
Rhubarb jam is great on bread, biscuits, crackers, toast, French toast, pancakes, and waffles.