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Canning stewed rhubarb is an easy and incredibly worthwhile preservation project. It is delicious and a great way to use up an abundant harvest.
This is one of those easy rhubarb recipes that you’ll be so glad is in your back pocket and one you’ll likely repeat year after year for its versatility.
Let’s face it there’s only so much rhubarb pie a person can eat, saving some for later feels like a prudent thing. This recipe will put an end to all that wondering about what to do with rhubarb every spring season.
Is Rhubarb a fruit or vegetable?
Rhubarb is technically a vegetable. However it is a vegetable that we eat like a fruit and a high acid vegetable, at that, making it safe for water bath canning.
It’s also a vegetable that we treat like a fruit in that we most often combine it with other fruits and use like a fruit in most recipes.
An Easy Preserve
Stewed rhubarb is simply sliced rhubarb mixed with sugar and gently boiled.
That mixture of sugar, rhubarb, and juice is then put into jars and canned.
It doesn’t get much easier, no making of sugar syrup, no need to worry about gel stage, etc.
It’s also easy to double or triple, if desired. Make lots to give away to friends and family who will appreciate it come winter.
How to Prepare Rhubarb
Once the rhubarb is pulled from the plant, remove the leaves. The leaves are poisonous and should not be eaten.
Then simply wash the stalks. A rinse under cool water is generally enough to remove any surface dirt. Some stems might need a light scrub with a brush to remove any stubborn bits of dirt or mud.
After the wash simply shake off any moisture and proceed with the recipe.
How to Cut Rhubarb
You will have most success with a very sharp knife. Rhubarb can be kind of stringy, this isn’t a problem at all but you can reduce the instances of those stringy bits essentially peeling your stalks by making sure to use a sharp knife.
Place the rhubarb onto your cutting board with the flatter edge down. Cut the rhubarb into one inch pieces for this recipe by simply slicing with your sharp knife. Make quick work of it by lining up two or three stalks to cut through at once.
Ways to Use Stewed Rhubarb
These beautiful jars are a simple addition to many meals in winter:
- Use as a pancake / waffle topping instead of syrups
- Mix in with oatmeal and other hot cereals for a flavorful, fruity punch
- Top ice cream, poundcake, or sweet shortcake biscuits for an easy dessert
- Dumplings! Put a jar or two into a pot and heat, add dumpling batter and cook until the dumplings are cooked and fluffy.
- Stir into homemade yogurt
- Pour a jar or two into the bottom of a pie plate and top with oats and melted butter for a crisp-style dessert.
Canning Stewed Rhubarb
Canning stewed rhubarb is a super easy and tasty way to preserve rhubarb for winter while giving the home cook multiple ways to use it up later in the year when everyone is ready to enjoy the tart flavor again.
Ingredients
- 12 Cups Sliced Rhubarb
- 1 ½ Cups Sugar
Instructions
- In a large pot combine the rhubarb and sugar, mixing well. Cover and let stand until juice begins to release from the fruit.
- While the fruit stands, get the boiling water canner going and get jars, lids, and rings ready.
- Once some water has started to release from the rhubarb, bring it to a gentle boil, stirring to prevent scorching. Ladle the stewed rhubarb into hot jars leaving 1/2" headspace. Clean rims, put on lids and rings.
- Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for elevation.
Notes
Scale the recipe up or down by figuring 1/2 Cup sugar for every 4 Cups of chopped rhubarb
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1/2 CupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 105Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 1g
We try our best but cannot guarantee that nutrition information is 100% accurate.
Yum! I usually just chop my rhubarb and freeze it, but this looks almost as simple and won’t take up precious freezer space.
I too just chop and freeze the rhubarb. I love this recipe and i will make more jars when I get a new crop!🌺
This looks so good! Almost makes we wish we lived further north ;-)
Oh! This looks delicious and I’ll definitely have to try this.
How long would I process this Iran electric canner?
I meant an electric canner.
You’ll have to refer to the owner’s manual of your electric canner and use the processing time recommended for rhubarb – they’re usually shorter but I don’t know exactly and they vary. Sorry I can’t be more help.
Looks so good and receipe looks easy. Would like to know if you can store canned items I live in apartment no place cool.
You can store home canned items anywhere you would keep your store-bought items. A pantry closet or cabinet?
Grease a casserole dish. Pour some stewed rhubarb in. (Sprinkle with a bit of sugar mixed with cinnamon. Optional.) Pour cake batter in. Bake until the centre is done. Makes a hearty dessert.
Great quick idea, thanks
Can I make it with less sugar?
You sure could, go as light as you’d like.
How many pounds of rhubarb make 12 cups sliced? I really want to make this. I think it would be great on French toast.
Approximately 4 pounds.
Have you made this with half rhubarb and half strawberries? Would you change anything if you did?
I have not made it with strawberries but I’m sure it would be tasty. I might use less sugar because the strawberries would be sweeter but that’s the only change I can think of off hand.
Have done it and it comes out great. 10c rhubarb, 6c strawberry, 11/4c sugar. 8 tbl water. Only difference is I chop the rhubarb in a food processor a lot and just chop the strawberrys like one hit.. Just divide or multiply for bigger/smaller amounts. After first batch sugar to your taste. We like to let tart of rhubarb get past sugar.
@Kathie Lapcevic,
I make it adding blueberries and/or strawberries, with no added sugar. It is delicious. For 1kg rhubarb, I use 500gm of the other fruit.
I reckon you will enjoy it.
Would you add red food coloring to make it look brighter?
I would not (it’s not my thing) but I suppose you could. Also just use the very brightest red rhubarb for a brighter color overall. I’m less picky about that and will use lighter colored and just gather whatever I can harvest.
@Kathie Lapcevic, if you soak you rhubarb in grenadine syrup it will be a very deep red. Then discard the syrup .
Great easy to fallow recipe. Thank you for sharing, I’m making some tonight and I’m excited to see how it turns out. :)
Oh I would ask if you could share a few ideas that we can us this rhubarb on. Or do you just snack on it from the jar?
There are a few ideas in the post – we use it as pancake topping. It’s really yummy on poundcake. We eat it on oatmeal too. Enjoy!
Thanks you, it truned out amazing very yummy
I am so glad to hear it!
What is the shelf life of the rhubarb once you put in jars
All home canned goods should be used up within 1 year according to standard canning guidelines.
Can you hot water bath it? I don’t have a electric canner
The canning instructions are for a hot water / boiling water bath.
In recipe please put # of jars used so the correct # is made ready for the rhubarb.
The recipe states that the yield is 7 half pints.
I got 3 x 500 ml (500 ml is approx 2 cups) plus a little bit which was great for a taste test. And it passed highly.
I just froze a lot of rhubarb. Do you think I could use frozen rhubarb?
Oh for sure. Just put the frozen rhubarb right in the pot to thaw then proceed.
Thank you!! I’ll be doing that this week!!
My rhubarb turned brown in the jars over time. How can I prevent that ?
How much time passed? Were the jars exposed to sunlight?
What do you think about a little beet juice for coloring. When I cook beets there’s that beautiful purple juice..maybe a good sub for food colors.?
My concern about adding beet juice is that it will lower the acidity level which isn’t good for canning.
Could you use this as a pie filling? What would you need to add?
Probably though I haven’t tried it yet. You’d want something to help it set, some eggs & flour maybe. I have an apple butter pie recipe here: https://homespunseasonalliving.com/apple-butter-pie/ – I imagine the stewed rhubarb could work as a substitute for apple butter but I can’t promise. I keep wanting to try a stewed rhubarb pie but never seem to get around to it.
@Carole Leone, you can definitely make pie filling! For rhubarb, get some Instant ClearJel (not to be confused with SureJel). For every 8 cups of rhubarb add 6 Tbsp+2 tsp. Follow directions on package. You can also use Pie Filling Enhancer, for every 8 cups of rhubarb use 1 cup enhancer but you must reduce you sugar by 1/2 cup, since the enhancer has sugar in it. Hope this helps.
Love this recipe! So easy! I did not have enough half pints so used one pint and that one turned out fine.
I do this same thing, only I add a little vanilla to mine. Makes it even better in my opinion.
That sounds super tasty!
If I use a pressure canner what pressure and how long?
There’s some advice for pressure canning rhubarb here but I’ve never tried it: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/rhubarb_stewed.html
Giving it a try this morning moved into a house with seven rhubarb plants!
I hope to make the most of it.
Lving where power outages are common it’s more reliable to have food in jars
Oh enjoy!
Has anyone tried to make this with a sugar free substitute like monk fruit or stevia?
Hi how long will an unopened jar last in a cupboard?
Canned foods should be used up within 1 year.
How long would I can it in a steam canner, instead of a water bath canner? Same amount of time? Thanks!
Do you think I could I could do the whole recipe and then freeze 8n small containers?
I think you definitely could.
I fill a Dutch oven about 1/2 full of cut up rhubarb and then about half cover with water. wash and cut up 1 lb strawberries.
Add to rhubarb, start with about a cup of sugar and then taste as it cooks and add more sugar if needed. Cook til the rhubarb comes apart and it will get redder as it cooks.
Stew for an hr. It won’t be real thick, but once it cools it is a very nice red consistency It is so good with a piece of toast.