Last year, we got a lot of rhubarb from our farm share. Until then, I had never cooked with it. I had, however, enjoyed rhubarb sauce since I was very young. I don't know if it's a particularly Midwestern dish, but my family had it often while Ariel was unfamiliar with it. It's a lovely comfort food that really takes me back. I usually use it as a topping for vanilla ice cream. Rhubarb is a very tart ingredient, which pairs well with the sweetness and creaminess of ice cream. Superficially, rhubarb resembles a reddish celery, but behaves very differently when cooked, disintegrating into strings.
Rhubarb freezes well. Cut into one-inch chunks before freezing. Frozen rhubarb can go right into this recipe, which is what I did here. I looked at many other recipes in researching mine, and the main variation is how much sugar goes in. This could change depending on personal taste and the intended use for the sauce. I went a little on the sweeter side here. This recipe is a good base, on top of which other flavorings can be added. Some suggestions I have seen include vanilla and citrus zest.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 lb. rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 lb. frozen sliced strawberries
Instructions
In a saucepan, combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add rhubarb.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb has fully disintegrated into strands, about 15-20 minutes.
Add strawberries. Continue cooking to defrost the strawberries.
Remove from heat, let cool. Add any desired flavorings and transfer to the refrigerator.
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