Rhubarb. Delicious, tart, multi-colored rhubarb.

Beautiful rhubarb

It’s here for such a short season that it would be a dirty rotten shame not to make the most of it. Rhubarb belongs in pies and salsa and BBQ sauce and jam. And it most definitely belongs in chutney.

Sweet/sour/addicting chutney with honey.

Gifts to go

Simply defined, chutney is a “thick sauce that is made from fruits, vinegar, sugar, and spices”. It goes great with roasted meats like chicken. And pork. And it practically begs to be eaten with turkey. In fact, slathering some of this richly colored chutney on your
Thanksgiving turkey is like having a taste of Spring freshness on a late Fall day.

Chutney is easy to make: 10 minutes of chopping, 30 minutes of simmering, 15 minutes of canning and that’s it — you have captured Spring and put it in a jar.If you’re not a canner, you can simply slip the cooled chutney into a freezer jar and eliminate the last step of the process.

Rhubarb compote

Don’t you love all the colors of rhubarb. Deep red. Light red. Green – all in one stalk. Beautiful.

This Honey Rhubarb Chutney recipe comes from a wonderful website called The Elliott Homestead.   It’s a combination of rhubarb, dried cherries, onions, spices and, of course, honey.

Simmer all the ingredients together for about a half hour and you are ready to can.

Cooking it Down

If you can stand it. I had a hard time not eating it all before I canned it.It tastes like pie in a jar. And who can resist a good pie in a jar!

Rhubarb in a Row

But resist I did. My two pounds of rhubarb yielded five pints of chutney. Five pints will not hold me until next rhubarb season so I will be making this deliciousness again. And again. And again.

Rhubarb season is short. But with about an hour of work, you can preserve it for the year. And on those dark, grey days of Winter, you’ll be happy you did. It is sunshine in a jar.

Honey Rhubarb Chutney

2 lbs. rhubarb, cut into pieces
2 cups raw honey
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Simmer approx. 30 minutes. 
The rhubarb will begin to break down and loose its shape and the liquid will 
thicken slightly. Laddle into sterilized pint jars and process in a hot water
bath for 15 minutes. Cool and listen for the telltale "ping" as the jars are 
cooling. Store in a cool dark cupboard for up to a year. 
NOTE: The cooled chutney can be put into freezer jars and frozen instead of 
canned.