Many Winnipeg homes (at least those 40 years or older) have an obligatory rhubarb plant stuck somewhere on their property. Some, who enjoy rhubarb, even have two or three plants. But rarely are there homeowners with over 20 plants. So, when we got a call from Melissa offering up her 20-30 rhubarb plants we were thrilled!
Our volunteers picked a whopping 62 pounds of rhubarb in Melissa’s backyard. That’s over 400 stalks of rhubarb which would make about 60 rhubarb pies, or five batches of Grandmere’s Rhubarb Marmalade, a family recipe submitted to us by Summer, one of the volunteers who helped on this pick.
We know Winnipeg Harvest was able to put their 1/3 to good use as well.
Grandmere’s Rhubarb Marmalade
Ingredients:
12 lbs rhubarb
10 lbs. sugar
6 oranges
Preparation:
Squeeze the juice of six oranges and use the grated peel of three.
Wash and chop rhubarb small.
Layer rhubarb with the sugar and orange in a large, heavy pot (traditionally: cast iron was always used!) and let it sit overnight.
Stir once to mix in the sugar.
Next day, cook slowly for 6 hours or until thick, stirring often. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
Enjoy!
Now that’s a lot of rhubarb!! I’m guessing a cast iron pot would be used to avoid discoloration of the marmalade?
Actually, I believe that cast iron or aluminum or any other “reactive” pot will turn acidic produce like rhubarb brown. However, Summer tells me, that’s how her Grandmere wanted it! Use stainless steel or enamel coated cast iron if you want to prevent discoloration.
when you say seal, I assume you mean in a waterbath. How much headspace do you leave in the jars and how long are they processed for in the water bath?