I am always looking for ways to use rhubarb as it’s one of my favorite ingredients to cook with and to eat. It’s a versatile ingredient and I have discovered, when combined with tomatoes, it makes a tasty Rhubarb Tomato Ketchup. Use this condiment just as you would a typical tomato-based ketchup.
The fruity, tart flavor of rhubarb combines very nicely with tomatoes. I recommend using Roma/plum tomatoes in this recipe as they have fewer seeds to deal with and I find this variety of tomatoes generates more pulp than some others. The addition of rhubarb adds bulk and texture, in addition to flavor, to the ketchup.
Essentially, this recipe involves three steps. First, the cooking of the tomatoes and rhubarb with some spices and a few other ingredients. Second, puréeing the cooked mixture and straining it through a mesh sieve to remove any remaining solids. And, third, cooking the strained mixture slowly to allow it to reduce and thicken.
Rather than putting whole spices into the stockpot, I recommend making a small spice sachet with them. Use cheesecloth for this. Depending on how open the weave of the cheesecloth is, two or even three layers may be needed. The goal is to keep the whole spices contained. Making this spice sachet is the same as what is done for pickles. Click here for more information on how to make the sachet. Remember to remove and discard the spice sachet before puréeing the mixture.
Rhubarb Tomato Ketchup is a special treat to make when the rhubarb is in season though it can be made with frozen rhubarb at any time.
Homemade Rhubarb Tomato Ketchup
Ingredients:
10 oz plum/Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and coarsely chopped
8 oz rhubarb, chopped into ½“ pieces
¼ cup celery, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cinnamon stick
1 star anise pod
1 bay leaf
1/16 tsp mustard seed
2 whole cloves
2 whole peppercorns
2 whole allspice
1/8 tsp ground cayenne
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1/16 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp brown sugar
1½ tbsp liquid honey
½ tsp fine sea salt
Method:
Make a spice sachet from a double or triple layer of cheesecloth (a square 3” – 4”). Place the piece of cinnamon stick, star anise pod, bay leaf, mustard seed, whole cloves, peppercorns, and allspice in the center of the cheesecloth and gather up the sides to form a little sachet. Tie tightly with string and set aside.
Combine the chopped tomatoes, rhubarb, celery, shallot, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, and spice sachet into a medium-sized stockpot. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered for about 40-45 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not boil.
Remove and discard spice sachet. Cool mixture for approximately 20 minutes then purée in food processor or blender. Strain mixture through mesh sieve to remove any solids that may remain. Return strained mixture to a clean stock pot and add the brown sugar, liquid honey, and sea salt. Cook slowly, uncovered, over low heat for 30-40 minutes or until mixture is reduced to about a cup and thickened. Stir often as the ketchup cooks and also as it cools to help it to thicken.
Store in tightly covered jar in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Yield: Apx. 1 cup
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Homemade Rhubarb-Tomato Ketchup
Ingredients
- 10 oz plum/Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and coarsely chopped
- 8 oz rhubarb, chopped into ½“ pieces
- ¼ cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise pod
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/16 tsp mustard seed
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 whole peppercorns
- 2 whole allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground cayenne
- 1/8 tsp ground coriander
- 1/16 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1½ tbsp liquid honey
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Make a spice sachet from a double or triple layer of cheesecloth (a square 3” – 4”). Place the piece of cinnamon stick, star anise pod, bay leaf, mustard seed, whole cloves, peppercorns, and allspice in the center of the cheesecloth and gather up the sides to form a little sachet. Tie tightly with string and set aside.
- Combine the chopped tomatoes, rhubarb, celery, shallot, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, and spice sachet into a medium-sized stockpot. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered for about 40-45 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not boil.
- Remove and discard spice sachet. Cool mixture for approximately 20 minutes then purée in food processor or blender. Strain mixture through mesh sieve to remove any solids that may remain. Return strained mixture to a clean stock pot and add the brown sugar, liquid honey, and sea salt. Cook slowly, uncovered, over low heat for 30-40 minutes or until mixture is reduced to about a cup and thickened. Stir often as the ketchup cooks and also as it cools to help it to thicken.
- Store in tightly covered jar in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Apx. 1 cup
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