Rhubarb Relish

Rhubarb Relish
Rhubarb Relish

There is nothing like homemade relish, all natural and no preservatives.  Today, I am sharing my recipe for Rhubarb Relish which makes good use of the fresh rhubarb when it is in season.

This is a very versatile relish as it can be used as a spread on meat sandwiches as it complements many meats well.  It can also be served over chicken breasts, grilled pork chops, or even fish.  Having this relish on hand makes meal preparation easy as you don’t have to prepare a sauce from scratch and you don’t need to open a store-bought version that will not have the same taste and is probably full of some kind of preservatives.

This recipe does not take any unusual ingredients. However, some knowledge and experience with pickling and preserving methods as well as the canning procedure is required.

May 2022 Update: If you are unfamiliar with the bottle sterilization and canning process at all, you may find such information contained in my recipe for Rosy Rhubarb Jelly useful. In that recipe, I give a substantially detailed description of those processes. Click here to access that recipe. For the Rhubarb Relish, I process the half-pint (1-cup) jars in the hot water bath for 10 minutes.

My Island Bistro Kitchen’s Rhubarb Relish

Ingredients:

2 cups rhubarb, cut in about 1/2″ pieces
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
dash cayenne
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tbsp grated orange rind
1/2 cup cider vinegar

Method:

Wash and chop rhubarb into 1/2″ pieces.

Assemble ingredients.

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all ingredients.

Stir.

Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.  Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, until mixture reduces and thickens.  Stir occasionally.  Be patient.  This will take at least 1 1/2 – 2 hours.

Remove from heat.

Bottle into sterilized jars while relish is still hot.  Seal.  Finger-tip tighten jar lids. Process in hot water bath according to manufacturer’s directions.

Yield:  Apx. 3 cups

Rhubarb Relish
Rhubarb Relish

Serving Suggestion:

Grill pork chops.  Plate.  Top pork chop with 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp rhubarb relish.

Serve with baked potato and favorite vegetable.

Grilled Pork Chop topped with Rhubarb Relish and Served with Baked PEI Potato and Buttered Carrots
Grilled Pork Chop topped with Rhubarb Relish and Served with Baked PEI Potato and Buttered Carrots

 

My Island Bistro Kitchen’s Rhubarb Relish

A versatile relish that makes good use of rhubarb while in season. Great condiment to serve with meats.
Course Condiment
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword relish, rhubarb, rhubarb relish
My Island Bistro Kitchen Barbara99

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rhubarb, cut in about 1/2″ pieces
  • 2 cups onion, chopped
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • dash cayenne
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp grated orange rind
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. Wash and chop rhubarb into 1/2″ pieces.
  2. Assemble ingredients.
  3. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all ingredients.
  4. Stir.
  5. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, until mixture reduces and thickens. Stir occasionally. Be patient. This will take at least 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
  6. Remove from heat.
  7. Bottle into sterilized jars while relish is still hot. Seal. Finger-tip tighten jar lids. Process in hot water bath according to manufacturer’s directions.

Recipe Notes

Yield: Apx. 3 cups

 

NOTE: For additional detail, be sure to read the blog post that accompanies this recipe.

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Rhubarb Relish
Rhubarb Relish

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Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Summertime means lots of fresh salads.  I like to make my own vinaigrettes, like this Rhubarb Vinaigrette, because they are not full of preservatives and they are easy to make.

Regular followers of my blog will know that I love the quality balsamic vinegars and olive oils I get from the Liquid Gold store here in Charlottetown, PEI.  I jokingly say I have almost as many varieties in my cupboard as they have in the store!  There are so many combinations of vinegars and oils that each salad dressing is a new adventure and a new flavor.

Rhubarb pairs well with citrus so I have incorporated grapefruit balsamic vinegar and mandarin orange infused olive oil into this vinaigrette.  These three ingredients along with some orange juice are the basis for my salad dressing.

Rhubarb Vinaigrette

1 cup rhubarb, sliced
¼ cup orange juice
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp grapefruit balsamic vinegar
½ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small green onion, minced
1 tsp  mustard
¼ cup Mandarin-infused olive oil
Pinch of fine sea salt
½ tsp minced or puréed garlic (optional)

Assemble ingredients.

In small saucepan, combine the rhubarb and orange juice. Heat over medium heat and cook until rhubarb has completely softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Let cool.  When cool, use an immersion blender to purée the mixture.

Add the maple syrup, vinegar, lemon juice, green onion, mustard, olive oil, sea salt, and garlic (if using). Stir well to combine.

Serve over your favourite salad. Keep refrigerated in covered bottle for up to 1 week.

Yield: 1 cup

For this salad, I used a simple bed of fresh mixed salad greens, slices of pink grapefruit, blueberries, raspberries, red onion, and goats cheese.  I have been growing sprouts this spring so added a handful to add texture, flavor, and appearance to the salad.  A drizzle of the  coral-red colored Rhubarb Vinaigrette added the finishing touch.

The Rhubarb Vinaigrette is very versatile as it can be used on either a fruit- or vegetable-based salad.

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Jar of Rhubarb Vinaigrette

 

Rhubarb and Orange Muffins

We are blessed with well-producing rhubarb in our backyard garden. The photo below is of two crowns of rhubarb I started several years ago so it is quite a mature patch now. It has very deep ruby-red stalks. The patch graces us with a steady supply of rhubarb for fresh usage and for freezing.  It also allows me to create all kinds of recipes featuring rhubarb like today’s for Rhubarb and Orange Muffins.

Mature Rhubarb Patch
Mature Rhubarb Patch

Rhubarb is so versatile as it can be used in pies, puddings, marmalades, jams, tortes, baked goods, sauces, drinks, and so much more.  And, it freezes well for year-round use.

Rhubarb and Orange Muffins
Rhubarb and Orange Muffins

For these muffins, I have used grated orange rind and a small amount of orange juice to give a little zest and enhanced flavor to them.  

Rhubarb pairs very well with citrus fruits.

The key to using rhubarb in muffins and sweet breads is not to add too much rhubarb as it contains a lot of water and, if too much is used, can make the baked goods somewhat soggy.  I have tested this recipe several times and have concluded that 7 1/4 ounces ( or between 1 1/2 – 1 2/3 cups) of diced rhubarb is a good amount to use.

The other factor to keep in mind is that the rhubarb stalks should be quite thin (about 1/2″ to 3/4″ wide) for dicing as opposed to some larger and wider stalks (some of ours grow to be almost 2″ wide).

Rhubarb Stalks
Rhubarb Stalks

While you can split a large rhubarb stalk in half, lengthwise, it does tend to make the rhubarb bleed and the chunks don’t seem to hold their shape as well when baked in the muffins.  You can use either fresh or frozen rhubarb in this recipe.  In fact, I freeze the measured out amount of diced rhubarb in labeled freezer bags so they are ready to be used for muffins throughout the year.

The streusal topping for these muffins is optional but it does add both flavor and crunchiness to the muffins along with an attractive appearance.

Streusal-topped Rhubarb Muffin
Streusal-topped Rhubarb Muffin

To get that lovely dome-shaped muffin, you need to use a relatively high oven temperature – i.e., 400F or 425F.  

To get that lovely dome-shaped muffin, you need to use a relatively high oven temperature – i.e., 400F or 425F. 

To get that lovely dome-shaped muffin, you need to use a relatively high oven temperature – i.e., 400F or 425F. In my rhubarb muffin recipe, I use a preheated 400F oven.  Using the high temperature allows the outside of the muffin to quickly set while still allowing the inside to continue to rise.  This also gives that nice, soft muffin top crust.  We have all seen those flat-topped muffins and they don’t look as appealing as a nicely domed muffin does.

Rhubarb and Orange Muffin
Rhubarb and Orange Muffin

The texture of a good muffin should be somewhat “open” as you don’t want a finely-textured cake batter for muffins.  A good muffin will have a loose, coarse interior crumb.  When mixing the batter, do not overmix as this will cause the muffins to be tough, rubbery, and somewhat heavy.  Stir just until the dry ingredients are barely incorporated.  In fact, in muffins in which I am adding fruit (which gets added last, using the “folding” technique), I don’t completely incorporate all the dry ingredients to the wet because, when the fruit is folded in, the dry ingredients will get further incorporated then.  The batter should be lumpy, not smooth.

Open, loose crumb texture of muffin
Open, loose crumb texture of muffin

The other thing to keep in mind is not to overbake the muffins.  I have found, in my oven, that 18 minutes bakes these rhubarb muffins perfectly but, as you know, every oven is a bit different.  I suggest checking the muffins at about the 15-16 minute mark and, just as soon as they spring back to a light finger touch, remove them from the oven.  Overbaking will result in a dry, unappealing muffin and it only takes a couple of minutes for muffins to be overbaked so keep a close watch on them as they bake.  To double-check doneness, you can also use a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin – if it comes out clean, the muffins are done.  Let the baked muffins rest in the baking tin for 5-7 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

My Island Bistro Kitchen’s Rhubarb and Orange Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup rolled oats
⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp grated orange rind
1 egg, lightly beaten
1½ tsp vanilla
⅔ cup sour milk
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup cooking oil
7¼ oz finely chopped rhubarb, cut into ¼-inch chunks (about 1½ – 1⅔ cups)

Method:
Assemble ingredients.

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease 12 muffin cups.

In large bowl, combine first nine (9) ingredients. Mix well. Make a well in the center.

In separate bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, sour milk, orange juice, and cooking oil. Mix well. Pour into well in dry ingredients. Mix only to barely combine dry ingredients. Do not overmix.

Gently fold in rhubarb.

Mix streusal (recipe and instructions follow)

Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Top with streusel mixture.

Bake for about 18 minutes, or until muffins spring back to a light touch or a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Let muffins stand in baking tin for 5-7 minutes then carefully remove them and transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Streusal Topping
¼ cup + 2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped pecans
½ tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter

Method:
Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter to make a crumb mixture.

Spoon over tops of muffins. Bake as described above.

Rhubarb and Orange Muffins

The flavours of rhubarb and orange combine to make a perfect muffin topped with a streusel topping. A springtime treat when the rhubarb is in season.
Course Muffins
Keyword rhubarb
Servings 12
My Island Bistro Kitchen Barbara99

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • ¼ cup rolled oats
  • cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp grated orange rind
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • tsp vanilla
  • cup sour milk
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup cooking oil
  • oz finely chopped rhubarb, cut into ¼-inch chunks (about 1½ - 1⅔ cups)

Streusal Topping:

  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp flour
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp chopped pecans
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp butter

Instructions

  1. Assemble ingredients.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°. Grease 12 muffin cups.
  3. For Muffins: In large bowl, combine first nine (9) ingredients. Mix well. Make a well in the center of the ingredients.
  4. In separate bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, sour milk, orange juice, and cooking oil. Mix well. Pour into well in dry ingredients. Mix only to barely combine dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
  5. Gently fold in rhubarb. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
  6. For Streusel Topping: Mix flour, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon together in small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  7. Distribute streusel mixture evenly between the muffins.
  8. Bake muffins for about 18 minutes, or until muffins spring back to a light touch. Let muffins stand in baking tin for 5-7 minutes then carefully remove them and transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Recipe Notes

Yield: 12 muffins


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Rhubarb and Orange Muffins
Rhubarb and Orange Muffins

Thank you for visiting “the Bistro” today.

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Rhubarb Custard Torte

Slice of Rhubarb Custard Torte on white plate
Rhubarb Custard Torte

Rhubarb Custard Torte is one of my all-time favorite desserts and it is simply sublime!  While I freeze a substantial amount for use over the winter, there is nothing like scooting out to the garden to pick some fresh rhubarb just at the time I am making a recipe. However, our rhubarb season here in Atlantic Canada is all too short so most of my rhubarb recipes, including this torte, can be made with frozen rhubarb. Continue reading Rhubarb Custard Torte