Rhubarb is a great ingredient for making chutney. It is already tart and sour and combining rhubarb with spices, fruit, vinegar and sugar creates the perfect pickle.
For this rhubarb chutney, I wanted to maintain the colour and keep that reddish pink in the finished product. A lot of chutneys can end up deep brown but due to the sugar and vinegar used but maintaining the bright pink of the rhubarb adds a really pleasing look.
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Preserving Rhubarb In A Chutney
I think rhubarb is one of those vegetables that doesn’t get a lot of attention despite how much flavour and punchiness it has. It is also seasonal with a short growing season that produces a glut which makes it the perfect candidate for preserving so you can enjoy the flavour later in the year.
Combining sugar and vinegar is the key to making chutney. The vinegar preserves the rhubarb and the sugar balances the acidity.
I have also added spices and dried fruit to compliment the rhubarb and put an emphasis on the colour of the rhubarb chutney.
Key Ingredients For This Rhubarb Chutney
Selecting Rhubarb
When picking rhubarb for this recipe it is good to use red or pink stems as the fantastic colour will transfer through to the finished product. If you use pale or greenish stems then the finished chutney won’t be pink or red.
Dried Fruit
I have gone for dried cranberries here which are available everywhere. The colour matches with the chutney and the sweet and bitter zing of the cranberries really come through
Crystallised Ginger
Crystallised ginger comes in jars and it is the ginger root that is infused with sugar syrup. I like the sweet-heat from crystallised ginger but you can use fresh if you prefer.
Rhubarb Chutney Recipe
This recipe makes about 2 half-pint jars but can easily be doubled.
Rhubarb Chutney With Cranberries Recipe
A tangy and sweet, red chutney that showcases the best qualities of rhubarb.
Ingredients
- 700g red rhubarb stalks, cut into 1cm pieces
- 1 red onion, diced
- 35g crystallised ginger, chopped
- 180g dried cranberries
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 120g white wine vinegar
- 120g light brown sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a hot water bath and bring up to temperature, scold 2 - 3 half-pint jars in the bath until ready to use.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, add the rhubarb, red onion, ginger, cranberries, spices, wine vinegar and light brown sugar. Heat through slowly, stirring to dissolve the sugar until everything is combined.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Simmer until the mixture thickens and the rhubarb starts to break down. The chutney should have the same consistency as tomato ketchup and a spoon will leave a channel when dragged along the bottom of the pan, around 40 - 50 minutes.
- Once the rhubarb chutney has thickened, lift the jars from the water bath and ladle in the chutney whilst still hot. Leave a 1/2 inch headspace and then wipe the rims and fingertip tighten the lids.
- Process the jars completely submerged in the hot water bath for 10 minutes once boiling. After 10 minutes, lift the jars and then leave to cool to room temperature before testing the seals.
- The chutney will last for a year stored in a cool, dark cupboard. Once opened, store the chutney in the fridge.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 63Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 0g
Do You Need To Process Rhubarb Chutney In A Water Bath?
If you intend to store the chutney for up to a year then you will need to process the jars in a water bath.
If, however, you intend to eat the chutney within a couple of months then you don’t need to process the jars in a water bath. Once cooled, keep the chutney in the fridge for 2 – 3 months.
