Rhubarb Jelly • Easy Canning Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can rhubarb be water bath canned? ›

And canning rhubarb is so simple! I know I say that about a lot of canning recipes, but canning really isn't hard. If you're new to canning or just need a refresher, check out my book The Basics of Waterbath Canning. This recipe can be processed either in a water bath canner or a pressure canner .

Although strawberries and rhubarb are naturally high in acid, they are low in pectin. However, they cook down to a lovely, thick consistency all on their own, without any added pectin using the easy tricks in this recipe.

Canning Rhubarb

Rhubarb needs no additional acid, as it is solidly acidic with a pH of 3.2-3.4, and can be safely canned in a boiling water bath without the addition of either acid (lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid) or sugar.

Dump rhubarb and syrup into a large pot. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 seconds, stirring. Take off of heat and ladle 2 cups of rhubarb into each pint jar with a generous 1/2 inch head space. Pour syrup over rhubarb, dividing it evenly between the four jars to a 1/2 inch head space.

Wash, trim and cut into 1-inch pieces. Pack dry into freezer containers or bags. Rhubarb can also be cooked into sauce, cooled and frozen. To dry: Wash, trim and slice into 1-inch slices.

A large, deep saucepot equipped with a lid and a rack works well. As long as it is large enough to fully immerse the jars in canning water by 1-2 inches—and allow the water to boil rapidly when covered—the pot is adequate.

The secret ingredient to making jam without pectin is time. The fruit and sugar need plenty of time to cook and thicken. A long, slow boil drives the moisture out of the fruit, helping to preserve and thicken it at the same time. Fruit varies in water content as well, and some fruits may take longer to jam up.

If there isn't enough pectin in the fruit itself and you don't add extra pectin, the result is runny jelly or jam. Additionally, if the fruit is overripe, its pectin levels are lower. Added pectin comes in a couple of forms. You can find powdered pectin and liquid pectin at grocery stores and online.

Being plain, with no added sugar, gives rhubarb maximum flexibility for future use in recipes. You need to start this method recipe at least half-a day ahead, or, overnight, simply to allow the rhubarb time to freeze. P.S. Yes it is fine to can fruit without added sugar. Processing time: Either size jar, 15 minutes.

How do you remove oxalic acid from rhubarb? ›

Leaching, fermentation and cooking with calcium sources could be considered as the most efficient methods to reduce soluble oxalate. Time, temperature and properties of the food (pH, fibre and fat contents, and preparation methods) are the major factors determining the treatment efficiency for oxalate reduction.

Rhubarb leaves contain 0.5-1.0% oxalic acid, so that you would need to eat quite a large serving of the sour leaves, perhaps 10 pounds) to get a lethal dose. However, a fraction of that could nevertheless cause severe symptoms of oxalic acid poisoning..

Wash the stalks thoroughly and scrub with a vegetable brush. You don't need to peel peak-season rhubarb, but by midsummer, the stalks tend to be tough and fibrous. You might need to peel them to make them tastier.

"Once you let it simmer, and it's soft, let it sit overnight. Now you have these tender ribbons that you can jar up, or you can put them on anything." Removing the first layer of skin will take away its "rubbery taste" and bring out the stalk's most appealing flavors, and the brown sugar will temper the tartness.

Water-bath canning is NOT for meats, seafood, poultry, chili and beans, corn, and other low-acid vegetables that require a higher temperature (240°F) to raise the heat inside the jars above the boiling point of water (212°F) and hot enough to kill harmful bacteria. Low-acid food requires pressure canning.

Boiling water bath canning can be used to preserve high-acid foods such as fruits, pickles, relishes, acidified tomatoes, fruit jellies, jams, butters, marmalades, and preserves. Always check up-to-date canning information for correct processing times.

Simply fill a glass jar halfway with water and place rhubarb stalks, bottom end down, in water. Cover with a plastic bag (such as a produce bag) and refrigerate until ready to use. Rhubarb stored this way is intended to be used within a few days.

Canning Safely

Water-bath canning is great for foods with a high acid content - many fruits, for instance. Vegetables are naturally low in acid, so must be pickled in a vinegar solution before canning in order to raise the acidity.