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Cornell Cooperative Extension

Food Preservation Resources: Preserving Rhubarb

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Compiled and shared by Cornell Cooperative Extension, by Martha Zepp, Program Assistant, Penn State Extension

Rhubarb is the vegetable that is enjoyed as a fruit. By itself, it provides a unique tart flavor, but combined with other foods to create sauces, pies, cakes, cobblers and jams provides us with delicious flavor combinations.

Selecting
Although fresh rhubarb is at its peak through May and June, harvesting can continue through the summer if plants have adequate water and don’t wilt from the intense heat of July and August. The quality is best if it can be pulled from the garden and used before stems have a chance to dry. Choose rhubarb stems that are bright pink, crisp, and free of disease or insect damage. Pull the stems from ground level instead of cutting them. At any given time, harvest less than one-third of the stalks from any one plant.

Do not eat rhubarb leaves, as they are poisonous.

Canning
Rhubarb can be canned or used in making jams and jellies. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has recipes for stewed rhubarb and rhubarb-strawberry jelly.

It is not safe to add any type of thickening to rhubarb before canning because the starch will interfere with the transfer of heat to the center of the jar during processing.

If you desire a thicker rhubarb sauce, add a little cornstarch, tapioca, or modified starch after you open the jar prior to serving.

Freezing
Rhubarb freezes well. Rhubarb can be packed into containers or freezer bags raw or pre-heated. Raw rhubarb gives a good quality frozen product without added sugar. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, heating rhubarb in boiling water one minute and cooling promptly in cold water helps retain color and flavor. (Cut stalks in lengths to fit freezer container or bag before heating.) Watch the time closely as overcooking will cause it to lose its shape.

A dry pack simply involves putting either raw or blanched rhubarb into containers without sugar leaving ½ inch head space. Tray packs also work well with raw rhubarb. Spread a single layer of cut rhubarb on trays, freeze until firm (1 to 2 hours), then put in air tight bags or containers.

Rhubarb may also be frozen with sugar or syrup.

  •  For a sugar pack, mix 1 part sugar and 4 parts rhubarb and allow to stand until sugar is dissolved before packing into freezer containers.
  • A syrup pack involves covering the rhubarb with syrup made by combining 1 cup sugar with 2 cups water and allowing adequate head space for expansion–½ inch for pints and 1 inch for quarts in wide top containers.
  • In general, up to one-fourth of the sugar may be replaced with corn syrup or mild flavored honey.
  • When cooking with rhubarb that is frozen in syrup, remember to include the sugar as part of the recipe.

Freezing already cooked rhubarb dishes saves time when serving. Plain sweetened sauces or those thickened with tapioca or ThermFlo® freeze well. Breads, cakes, cobblers, and some pies freeze well, but don’t freeze rhubarb custard pies.

Source: https://extension.psu.edu/preserving-rhubarb, 5-8-2020.

Check out this video on How to Freeze Rhubarb to see both Dry Pack and Tray Pack methods

Provided by Diane Whitten, Nutrition Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension. More food preservation resources can be found at http://ccesaratoga.org/nutrition-food/food-preservation.

Find rhubarb recipes here!

Rhubarb Recipes

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Provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension
Saratoga County (518) 885-8995
www.ccesaratoga.org

Rhubarb Chili: A Tangy Twist to a Classic Recipe
2 pounds tomatoes (about 3 cups)
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef (optional)
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/3 cup raisins
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 cups rhubarb, diced
30 ounces canned black beans

To prepare tomatoes, blanch, remove skin and chop. In a large sauce pan on medium heat, sauté onion and garlic with olive oil and ground beef, if desired. Drain fat, if necessary. Add broth, blanched tomatoes, raisins, chili powder and allspice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in rhubarb and black beans and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Makes 8, 1 ¼ cup servings, 10 servings if made with beef.

Nutrition per serving without beef: 190 calories; 3 g fat; 0 g sat. fat; 9 g protein; 510 mg sodium; 32 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (40% daily value), Iron (15% daily value).

 

Rhubarb Apple Crumble Bars

1 cup chopped fresh rhubarb
1 cup peeled, chopped apple
1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
4 tablespoon water, divided
1 teaspoon lime juice
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F°. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine rhubarb, apple, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of water and the lime juice. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until rhubarb is tender.

Combine the cornstarch with and the remaining 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Gradually stir into the rhubarb mixture and bring back to a boil for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, coconut, salt and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar. Pour in the melted butter and stir until mixture is crumbly.

In a greased 8-inch square pan, pour in half the oat mixture and press down lightly with the back of a spoon. Top with the rhubarb mixture and then spread the remaining oat mixture on top. Bake at 350 F° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 299 calories; 10 g fat; 4 g sat. fat; 3 g protein; 162 mg sodium; 51 g
carbohydrate, 3 g fiber. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (40% daily value)

 

Rhubarb Almond Muffins
½ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup brown sugar
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup rhubarb, finely diced

Topping
¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup sliced almonds, crushed
2 teaspoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin, or line with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, 2 tbsp of melted butter, oil and egg. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix until just blended. Fold in rhubarb. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin, filling cups at least 2/3 full. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, almonds, and 2 teaspoons of melted butter. Spoon over the tops of the muffins, and press down lightly. Bake for 25 minutes (20 minutes for mini-muffins), or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing.

Makes 1 dozen muffins or 2 dozen mini-muffins.

Nutrition per serving: Calories:170; fat:6g; sat fat:1.5g; sodium:125mg, carbs:28g.

 

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce

1 pound Rhubarb, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 pint Strawberries, quartered
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Shortcake biscuits

Place rhubarb in a medium sauce pan. On medium heat slowly warm rhubarb. After the rhubarb cooks and releases water, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add strawberries and sugar. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, if desired. Allow to cool slightly. Serve over shortcake biscuits or vanilla ice cream.

Makes about 4 cups sauce. Makes 8-10 servings.

Wednesday at the Farmers’ Market – A festival of fresh

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Market shopper, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market starts its outdoor season Wednesday at High Rock Park, with 28 vendors – seven of which are new. For the next six months, the market runs from 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Why visit the market twice a week?

Market administrator Julia Howard has a simple answer: Everything is fresh.

The Wednesday market creates a space for families, downtown workers, and others to plan their midweek meals as they shop.

“Envision this as dinner Wednesday,” says market administrator Julia Howard. “Fresh-cut pasta noodles, cooked at home, with fresh feta cheese, hydroponic tomatoes and a parsley garnish. Add any number of vegetables from our produce vendors on the side, and cider or wine.”

For breakfast the next morning, Howard adds, try farm-fresh eggs and maple syrup, and perhaps a couple of goat riblets, chicken or a steak for dinner the next night.

“There will be so much good food this year at the Wednesday market,” Howard said. “There’s no reason not to make it a part of your meal planning for the week.”

Midweek markets are a boon for farmers from late spring through early fall when seasonal produce grows rapidly and is at its freshest. By having an opportunity to sell produce more than once a week, farmers are able to supply customers with a larger share of their harvests, which reduces spoilage.

Many farmers also use the market as a space to sell seedlings and container plants. Wednesday’s opening market celebrates this tradition by offering children and others an opportunity to plant a seed at the market, place their name on a label, and over the weeks to come, to watch it grow.

New vendors include pasta makers Mangiamo LLC, the Saratoga Winery, Infinite Concepts jewelry, and produce/meat farmers Green Jeans Market Farm, Halls Pond Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, and Squashville Farm. Joining these vendors are 11 returning produce farmers, a dairy farmer, a maple and honey producer, three baked goods vendors, two prepared foods vendors, two artists, and a knife sharpener.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market will hold its last indoor market for the season from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park. The market will be outdoors 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at High Rock Park.

Farmers’ Market Fills the Heart with Health

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Winter has truly been wintry this year. Getting out has been a challenge for even the hardiest.

Now, however, begins the countdown to spring. And with that, vendors, volunteers, and staff at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market invite you to join our celebration tomorrow of the city’s annual Health and Wellness Week.

Our goal is to bring you indoors to the market and get you outdoors. To that end, members of the Alpine Sports Shop will offer a free snowshoeing demonstration in front of the Lincoln Baths Building from 10 a.m. to Noon. Everyone who participates will receive a coupon for a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate from “Coffee Lady” Beth Trattel at Something’s Brewing.

Indoors, our vendors will have heart-warming indulgences that are good for you, too. Check out Puckers Gourmet Pickles limited offerings of lacto-fermented cherries, the heart-shaped homemade cheesecakes from Constance Capasso’s Grandma Apple’s Cheesecakes, the delectable handmade sweetness from Saratoga Chocolate Co., the artisanal roasted brews from Jim Williams’s Upper Hudson Coffee, and the cookies and teacakes from Marcie Place’s Chocolate Spoon.

Joining our regular produce, dairy, meat and prepared food vendors will be Cornell Cooperative Extension with recipes and food samples, information tables and demonstrations from local wellness organizations, and children’s activities hosted by the Northeast Parent & Child Society, and the Friends of the Market.

Many market regulars make health and fitness a part of their Saturday morning routines. They stop in to shop after running with groups like the Saratoga Stryders or arrive at the market with cross-country skis or snowshoes.

Yet, as runner Frank Lombard admits, it takes a bit of a push to get outdoors in the winter when the weather is bleak. “The biggest challenge is getting in motion,” he says. “But once you’re outdoors, it’s euphoric. There are so many benefits to being outside, to being with nature. It’s just a matter of overcoming that 10 to 15 minutes of resistance.”

So join us tomorrow morning. Try out some snowshoeing, and have a warm beverage. Fill your bag with our farm-fresh produce and a few other market treats. Your body and mind will thank you. We promise.

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park; follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.

Warming Up the Winter with Saratoga Farmers’ Market Foods

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Puckers Gourmet, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

How can you use the foods grown and raised by local farmers at the coldest time of year to create meals that are healthy, warm, and pleasing to the palate?

“Bake an apple,” recommends Christine Gaud, of Saratoga Apple.

Gaud cuts out the core of an apple and fills it with a dab of butter and some nuts. She places the fruit in her wood-fired oven and lets it bake until it softens. “Sometimes, it takes 15 minutes, sometimes 20,” she says.

You don’t need a wood-fired oven to do this. Following Gaud’s advice, I baked a Cortland apple at 350 degrees until it was soft to the touch. After it had cooled, I used a spoon to scoop out the inner flesh, which blended beautifully into a soft and silky custard-like concoction with the butter and chopped walnuts I added in.

“Load up on probiotics,” suggests Kelley Hillis, of Puckers’ Gourmet Pickles. As she notes, probiotics – which are abundant in such foods as her naturally fermented pickled vegetables – help strengthen the immune system, which is vital to staying healthy through the winter. On top of that, the pickles taste tangy and crunchy. While pickles often are regarded as a condiment, Hillis suggests adding them to sandwiches, tacos, or salads or eating them as a vegetable side.

“Many people have told me that they like to cut up my dill sours, for instance, and add them to a chicken or a tuna sandwich,” says Hillis.

And there’s soup. “Healthy and easy,” says Jennifer Czelusniak, of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service, who was serving samples of potato leek soup last Saturday. Czelusniak notes that planning a soup as part of a weekly menu means you don’t have to worry about what to use. “You can make a soup with almost any vegetable, a little oil or butter, and some broth.”

Frozen meats, aged cheeses, fresh fish, root vegetables, and greenhouse-grown salad greens, spinach and kale also are available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market year round.

“Winter is a great time to try something different,” says Czelusniak. “Visit the market, talk to farmers. You might discover something new.”

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park; follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.

Protecting Your Garden Harvest as the Seasons Change

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Frost damage, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

If you’re a backyard vegetable grower, you might plan your garden around the last and first frost dates. The last frost date – usually May 20 – signifies the date that it starts to become safe to transplant such tender seedlings as tomatoes, squashes, and peppers outdoors. The first frost date – September 20 historically for Saratoga – typically means the end of the life cycle for these plants.

But what if the temperatures get chilly sooner? What becomes of those green tomatoes, still rock-hard eggplants, still growing squashes?

Answers from Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendors who might have provided you with the seedlings that started your gardens last spring vary as widely as the weather. But the general rule is to be watchful but not worried.

“If it looks like the night time temperatures are going to drop into the low 40s, you might want to cover those kinds of plants,” says Chris Dumar, of Balet Flowers & Design. “You also might want to water well, especially if you think you might get a frost.”

Covers for plants can range from row covers or sheets of plastic or even five-gallon pails. The key is to make sure the plants are covered but that the material still gives them some room to breathe.

Dumar also recommends spraying plants hit by frost with water early in the morning before the sun hits the plants. The water moistens the leaves, which can prevent them from being burnt by the sun.

While a plant hit by a frost is unlikely to continue producing its fruit, the fruit itself often is still fine to pick. Many farmers recommend picking tomatoes if they’re still green but look as if they’re starting to ripen well in advance of frost warnings. Unripe vegetables such as tomatoes, summer squash, eggplants, peppers and winter squash can be picked even after a light frost. These fruits will continue to ripen after a harvest on a kitchen counter, shelf, or sunny window.

And first frosts do sweeten some vegetables, particularly leafy greens, and brussels sprouts, creating a new season of eating.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is at High Rock Park through October, 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. We move indoors to the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park on November 4. Follow our updates on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.