Rhubarb sauce

Wow!  How did half of August get by me?  This is a very busy time of year, but yikes!

My parents have been here most of the summer.  They used to live here full time, now they are snowbirds.  One of the things my mom loves is rhubarb, and she misses having a freezer full for the winter.  Rhubarb grows rampant in Fairbanks.  It is not the spring treat it is in the real world, but a summer and fall treat.  Then we freeze as much as we can to get through the winter.

One year I canned some and sent it to her for her birthday.  This year, they came up in a their motorhome and while they don't have freezer space, they do have storage space.  So, I spent one afternoon canning rhubarb sauce so I don't have to mail it my mom can take it with her (I'm thoughtful like that).  I filled 12 jars so they have one for every month of the year and had some left over.  I made rhubarb crumble bars with this recipe, subbing the rhubarb sauce for the blackberries.  It was so delicious we were eating too fast to take pictures.  And the boys across the street took the rest home.

My mom likes tart rhubarb, so the sugar is slim in my recipe.  You can add more if you like a sweeter rhubarb, but leaving it tart was perfect against the sweet crumble crust and topping.  I also like it tart and swirl some into my yogurt in the morning.

I've made a couple of batches of the sauce, I froze some of it and I have a jar in the fridge for yogurt.  I also have bags frozen now.  I'll pull those out in the middle of 40 below and make a pie, some muffins or a cake with it and dream about the summer.

Rhubarb Sauce
12 cups rhubarb, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix rhubarb, sugar, and salt in large stock pot.  Let sit for a couple of hours to draw out some of the moisture.  When some liquid is in the bottom of the pan and the sugar had dissolved some, place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until rhubarb is soft, sauce-like and at the consistency you want.

Use this rhubarb for these crumble bars, or keep in the fridge for your yogurt, toast, or other treat.

To can, fill hot, clean jars with rhubarb sauce, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe edge of jar and cover with lid and ring.   Process in hot water bath at a full boil for 15 minutes.  Start timer when water returns to a boil.  Remove from hot water and cool completely.

August 15, 2013   SRise 5:39 am SSet 10:09 pm  Temp H 82°/ L 54°F