Hi All! Not sure if anyone is still out there connected to this thread, but thought I would try. =) My family loves the good old Strawberry Rhubarb freezer jam that uses jello, I love it, too. My problem is, I try to make enough of it to last us all year (they love it that much!), but I dont' want to use that much freezer space. I have tried a couple of recipes this year, water bath recipes, that have not set up. One I was afraid may not have had the right ingredients to be a jar jam, since it didn't set up, so after a few hours, I threw it in the fridge to use as syrup. Low and behold it set. =) So, I found another and tried it. It didn't set either. (What is the longest it should take to set up?) 12 c rhubarb 3 Tbs pectin (powdered) 3 c sugar lime juice cubes (2 or 3?) dash red food color Put sugar on diced rhubarb and let it sit overnight to suck water out. Cooked and reduced it for about 15 miutes with lime juice, and added pectin near end. My recipe is homemade so your mileage may vary. Rhubarb is high acid, though, so it should be safe enough. >>> I like the look of the above recipe very much (it is from further up in this thread), it has very little sugar, doesn't require much in the way of other fruit (I'm trying to be as frugal as possible) and is said to set up. My question is this. Can I use one of my recipes that has not set up, just add commercial pectin to it? (I do like the flavor, just want it to set.) If so, how do I figure out how much pectin to add? I'm new to the jam canning process, and don't have much for local resouces, so I appreciate all the help I can get. Thanks! Gabi

Oh, your pies are a work of art, Ann . . . and I'm sure they taste as good as they look :) I agree about letting the rhubarb shine in all its glory! I made a rhubarb meringue dessert on Sunday and it was gone so fast, it made my head spin. Thank goodness my plant is HUGE this year; the ruby red stalks are as thick as my granddaughter's arm (her name is Ruby, so everything that's red is referred to as 'ruby red' around here :) . . . and tender and so juicy ~ must be a good year for rhubarb!

I live in Massachusetts and my rhubarb is still quite small. My brother-in-law has rhubarb plants that are over 50 years old-- they get huge in the spring! I was happy to have frozen some from last year. This past weekend I used some to make rhubarb bread. It was yummy, but I think I will add a little white sugar the next time I make this recipe. Rhubarb Bread Yields: 20 servings INGREDIENTS: 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2/3 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter, melted DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together milk, lemon juice and vanilla; let stand for 10 minutes. 2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, oil and egg. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, stir into sugar mixture alternately with the milk mixture just until combined. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. 3. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the unbaked loaves. 4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean. Yum!

I've seen and heard of people calling rhubarb "pie plant". I kind of like that name. It's accurate. So many people give names to things that approach stupid and it kind of bugs me but I like that. My plant had great rhubarb but it was in the shade and died off apparently. I have to see if any of it is left. If it is, I'll move it. If not, maybe I can get some of the plant I gave to my neighbor. I haven't had rhubarb bread in years and I so enjoy that. I grew up being told to PULL, not cut rhubarb and Buddha help us if we broke a stalk off and didn't pull the rest of that stalk! They believed it would kill off the plant (it'd smother). From what I've read that's a myth and I believe that it is since I have friends who have always cut the rhubarb, being told that they'd kill the plant if they pulled it out by the roots. Here's a couple recipes I want to try. I had 2 or 3 other recipes for BBQ sauce but I can't find them now. They sounded great but I never got the chance to try it. The thing I like about these is they do not use ketchup so you avoid some unnecessary sugar and salt. Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce A slightly sweet barbecue sauce with a lot of tang. Great on grilled pork or chicken. Safflower Oil - 2 Tble Onion, diced - 1 cup Rhubarb, chopped (½” pieces) - 4 cups Light Brown Sugar - ¾ cup (lightly packed) Tomato Paste - ½ cup Bouquet Garnii - 2 bay leaves, 6 peppercorns, 1 dried chili, 2 cloves Dijon Mustard - 2 Tble Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 Tble Honey - 2 Tble s+p - to taste Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and sweat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until it is translucent and soft. Watch it closely to make sure it does not brown. Add the rhubarb, brown sugar and tomato paste and saute for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water and the bouquet garnii, and bring the mixture to a low boil. Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until reduced and thick. Remove the pan from the heat and cool for 30 minutes. Remove the bouquet garnii, then stir in the dijon, vinegar and honey. Puree with an immersion blender or food mill until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust the seasonings. Use as a baste for grilled pork or chicken. Serve extra sauce alongside for dipping. Keep leftovers, covered and in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks. Notes: I use safflower oil, because I prefer to avoid GM oils like canola and soy. I use a large tea ball to keep my bouquet garnii all together and in one place when I’m flavouring stocks and sauces. I found some extra-large tea balls at a market in Victoria’s Chinatown. You can also use a square of cheesecloth or unfilled tea bags (also available in Chinatown) A food mill fitted with the medium plate will produce a smoother sauce than an immersion blender. Preparation time: 15 minute(s) Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 30 minute(s) Yield: approx 3 cups Easy Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce 4 c. chopped rhubarb 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste 2 c. water 2 onions, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. honey 3 Tb. Dijon mustard 2 Tb. cider vinegar 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 1/2-1 tsp. hot pepper sauce or red chili flakes (or to taste) Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring often (especially towards the end of cooking), until the rhubarb is tender. Blend until smooth using an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender or food processor to blend). Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for about a week or freeze for longer storage. Makes about 6 cups