Last year when I was at the produce market, I picked up some rhubarb to make a strawberry rhubarb pie. Being me, I did not look at the recipe beforehand to see how much I would need, so I erred on the side of caution and bought several pounds. It turned out that I only needed a few stalks, so I quickly started searching for rhubarb recipes. I made strawberry rhubarb pie and strawberry rhubarb jam and then got tired of hulling strawberries. I found this rhubarb recipe in my canning book and figured it was a great way to use up both rhubarb and apples from our tree. It is deeeeeeeeelicious! I love it on pork. My husband was skeptical at first, but after he tried it on his pork chop, he reached for the jar to get seconds.
Since there are so many great rhubarb recipes and since rhubarb is expensive to buy, I planted my own rhubarb plants last year. I used one of the ginormous rhubarb stalks to make this chutney again this past weekend. We just bought our pig, so we served it on sliced ham. Absolutely delicious!
This is a recipe from a canning book and therefore implies that you know something about canning. Canning is not difficult. If you have not done it before, read this first. If you are intimidated by canning, simply ladle the chutney into containers that you can store in your freezer and thaw the chutney before use. If you do opt to can the chutney, you do not need to refrigerate or freeze the jars. They will be perfectly sealed, so you can store them in your garage just as you do your unopened jams or cans of soups.
apple rhubarb chutney
In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine the apples, sugar, rhubarb, water, zest and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. Add the cranberries, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Boil gently, stirring frequently, until thick enough to mound on a spoon, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the canner, jars and lids. Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the jars. Boil the jars in the pot for a few minutes to kill any bacteria.
Ladle the hot chutney into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, moist paper towel ensuring that the rims are perfectly smooth. Center the lid on the jars. Screw the band down until resistance is met and then increase the pressure until pretty tight.
Place the jars in the canner, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Cover with the canner lid, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, remove the jars, cool on the counter, and store. (Before you store your chutney, ensure that the lid properly sealed. Press down on the center of the lid. It should not give to your pressure and should not make a popping sound. If it does pop, the jar did not seal and cannot be stored on the counter. It will need to be refrigerated or frozen until use.)
1 response so far ↓
1 Tres Delicious // Aug 13, 2011 at 4:15 am
During my childhood, I’ve always wondered how those rhubarb are carefully prepared. The photography looks elegantly indulging. I would like to prepare this for our anniversary.