Rhubarb sauce — or rhubarb compote, if you want to get fancy — is a tangy, tart, and versatile dessert sauce that’s surprisingly easy to make. Its flavor is often compared to sour apples or even citrus fruits.
This guide will not only give you a simple rhubarb recipe sauce to follow but also explore different ways to use it and preserve it for later.
And while rhubarb is technically a vegetable, it’s used like a fruit in cooking and baking.
Rhubarb Sauce Recipe: Ingredients and Preparation
If you’ve got rhubarb, you’re halfway to a flavorful rhubarb sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients
- 1 lb rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
If you’re feeling fancy, you can also add:
- Lemon juice to brighten the flavor
- Vanilla extract for a richer taste
- Ground cinnamon for a warm spice note
Preparation
- Wash and trim the rhubarb, making sure to remove the leaves (they’re toxic!).
- Slice the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces.
- Combine the rhubarb, sugar, and water in a saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is soft. This should take about 15 minutes.
How to Use Rhubarb Sauce
Rhubarb sauce is surprisingly versatile. Think of it as a sweet-tart flavor boost for all sorts of desserts.
- Spoon it warm or cold over vanilla ice cream, simple pound cake, or even layered yogurt parfaits.
- Drizzle it over fruit crisps and cobblers for extra tang.
You can also use rhubarb sauce as a starting point for other desserts. While it’s too liquidy to be used as pie filling on its own, you can easily thicken it with cornstarch or tapioca flour and bake it into a pie.
Finally, don’t be afraid to play with the sweetness. Rhubarb varies in tartness, so adjust the sugar to your liking. You can also use alternative sweeteners if you prefer.
Storing Rhubarb Sauce
If you’re lucky enough to have a lot of rhubarb on hand, you can make a big batch of sauce and save it for later. Here’s how:
Refrigeration
If you’ve made a small batch of rhubarb sauce, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Be sure to store it in an airtight container.
Freezing
Rhubarb sauce can be frozen for up to three months. Pack it into freezer-safe containers or bags to keep it from getting freezer burn.
Canning (Water Bath)
If you want to keep your sauce even longer, you can use a water bath to can it. Be sure to leave about ¼ inch of headspace in the jars.
Process pint or quart jars for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed.
After processing, check to make sure the lids have sealed correctly. If a jar hasn’t sealed, put it in the refrigerator and use the sauce within two weeks.
Rhubarb Varieties and Considerations
Don’t worry if you can only find green rhubarb. The color doesn’t affect the flavor.
You might notice that rhubarb from farmers’ markets looks different from the kind you find in grocery stores. That’s because commercial growers often breed rhubarb to have a deeper red color.
Also, rhubarb contains oxalic acid. Most people can eat it without problems, but if you have kidney issues, you may want to limit how much rhubarb you eat.
Summary
Rhubarb sauce is a simple and delicious way to enjoy the tart, unique flavor of rhubarb, and it’s easy to make any time of year using fresh, frozen, or even canned rhubarb.
This versatile sauce adds a special something to both sweet and savory dishes, and it’s a great way to use up extra rhubarb from your garden or the farmers market.
Don’t be afraid to play around with different flavor combinations to create a rhubarb sauce that’s perfect for you!