May 12, 2010

Rhubarb & Onion Relish

condiment, onions, rhubarb

Presented by

31 ratings

Prep time: 37 minutes
cooking time 7 minutes
Servings: Makes 5 (1-pint) jars

A little dab of Rhubarb & Onion Relish with pinto beans was good eating at Grandma’s farm.

Ingredients

31 stalks rhubarb
4 medium onions
4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices

Directions

1

Chop the rhubarb to yield about 8 cups. Slice the onions to yield about 4 cups.
2

Combine rhubarb, onions, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a large heavy saucepot and mix well.
3

Tie the garlic and pickling spices in a cheesecloth bag and add to the rhubarb mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.
4

Simmer mixture, stirring frequently, until rhubarb is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes; do not overcook.
5

Remove cheesecloth bag. Ladle relish into 5 hot sterilized 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal with 2-piece lids. Process in hot water bath for 5 minutes.

Grandma's Secret Trick

Pickling spice didn't exist until Grandma had been making relishes for many years. She kept a lot of whole spices on hand and made her own. She mixed 1/2 teaspoon crushed cinnamon stick, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon broken bay leaf bits, 6 to 10 cloves, 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns and a couple of allspice berries. If she had cardamom seeds and coriander seeds, she added 6 each of those to the mix.