Canned rhubarb is a versatile and easy way to save up an abundant harvest for enjoying later.

Canning raw rhubarb might not seem like the most exciting canning project. And while you might not want 30 quarts of it like tomato sauce, it is an extremely simple food preservation project with a number of tasty uses.

How to Can Rhubarb

It’s really as simple as chopped rhubarb and sugar  or honey. And because rhubarb is a high-acid food it can be safely processed in a water bath canner. 

There’s nothing fancy here. There is some time involved but the time is just letting the sugar and rhubarb sit, no hands-on labor intensive work. 

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Once the rhubarb and sugar have rested together for a few hours, the rest of the process including canning time happens in less than an hour. 

No Simple Syrup

When canning most fruits, a simple sugar syrup is added to the jars of raw or blanched fruits.

With rhubarb, the sugar/honey combines with the chopped stalks to draw moisture out naturally and no further water is added. 

It is a slightly different process than most home canned fruits and yet is easy and flavorful.

Sugar or Honey

Either sugar or honey can be used when canning rhubarb with this method. Use whichever you prefer and have on hand.

How Sweet?

Rhubarb tends to be quite tart and needs a lot of sugar for most folks to enjoy it. Use as much or as little sugar as you prefer in this recipe.

You will need some sugar or honey to get the moisture out of the stalks so it cannot be skipped entirely. 

Generally speaking, a minimum of ½ cup sugar or ¼ cup honey for every 4 Cups of chopped rhubarb is a good place to start. Add more as desired to reach optimum sweetness.

Ways to Use Canned Rhubarb

Once you have these jars in your pantry you may wonder what to do with them. The rhubarb will be quite soft and mixed in with the liquid. It will not drain or separate easily like say canned peaches.

It is not the kind of thing you would turn into a pie later without adding some serious thickener. 

However, there are many tasty uses:

• Mix it into cooked oatmeal for a delicious breakfast treat
• Add to ice cream and blend for a rhubarb milkshake
• Pour over pound cake or sweet biscuits for simple dessert
• Use on pancakes or waffles instead of syrup
• Heat in a saucepan with biscuit dough for a type of cobbler 

Looking for Other Rhubarb Canning Recipes?

Try your hand at making some of these easy rhubarb recipes!

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Recipe Source

This recipe is based on the tested guidelines from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

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