Some people have heirloom peonies or other perennials from the old farm or their parents’ gardens; I have rhubarb growing from a crown taken from my mom’s original patch. I love making a pie with a few stalks from it and my sister and I get a bit silly about the taste of it. We swear that rhubarb tastes just a little better than “ordinary!”
By mid-July while still good, it does start getting a bit more fibrous and tougher to cut, however. That signals a good time to put some away for later on. Nothing is simpler than chopping and freezing a few freezer bags of rhubarb, of course, but I’ve included a recipe this week for making a few jars of ready-to-use pie filling too.
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Use it for pies and cobblers as well as other dessert fillings and toppings.
RHUBARB STRAWBERRY PIE FILLING
- 7 c. prepared rhubarb, about 1-3/4 lb.3 large cooking apples, peeled and finely chopped2 c. granulated sugar1/4 c. orange juice1 tbsp. orange zest4 c. prepared strawberries, about 1-1/2 qt.
Place 5 clean 500-ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180 F/82 C). Set screw bands aside. Heat sealing discs in hot water, not boiling (180 F/82 C). Keep jars and sealing discs hot until ready to use.
Cut rhubarb into 1-inch pieces. Measure 7 cups.
Combine rhubarb, apples, sugar, orange juice and zest in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil gently 10 to 15 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Set aside.
Wash, hull and halve strawberries; measure 4 cups. Add strawberries to rhubarb and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Ladle hot pie filling into a hot jar to within 1 inch of top of jar (headspace). Using non-metallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more pie filling. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre hot sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining pie filling.
When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1,000 ft., process — boil filled jars — 15 minutes.
When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; do not retighten screw bands.
After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home-canned foods within one year.
Makes about five 500-ml jars.
Source: Bernardin Ltd.
- 4 c. diced peeled apples, 4 large2 c. diced rhubarb (fresh or frozen)1/2 c. waterJuice and grated rind of 1 lemon4 c. granulated sugar1 tsp. ground cinnamon1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg1/2 c. dried cranberries
Place 4 clean 250- or 236-ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180 F). Set screw bands aside. Heat sealing discs in hot water, not boiling (180 F). Keep jars and sealing discs hot until ready to use.
In large heavy-bottomed pot, combine apples, rhubarb, water, lemon rind and juice, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, boil gently 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in dried cranberries. Cook 10 to 15 minutes longer until mixture reaches soft jam-like consistency, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat, let rest for 1 minute. Stir to distribute dried cranberries.
Ladle hot mixture into a hot jar to within 1/4 inch of top of jar (headspace). Using non-metallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more chutney. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre hot sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining chutney.
When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1,000 ft. process — boil filled jars — 10 minutes.*
When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; do not retighten screw bands.
After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home-canned foods within one year.
Makes four 250-ml jars.
TIP: For conserves and chutney, choose apples that keep their shape when cooked. Good apple choices are Golden Delicious, Spy or Spartan.
Source: Bernardin Ltd.
