Rhubarb Butter

This recipe uses rhubarb’s natural affinity for oranges. There is no added pectin. The orange and the long cooking time produce a spreadable fruit, like apple butter but without all the cloves, cinnamon and other frou-frou.

Have ready:

Five pounds of rhubarb in half-inch pieces
4 cups sugar
Finely grated zest of two oranges
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup water

By all means, weigh the rhubarb; don’t guess. Borrow a neighbor’s kitchen scale if necessary.

Put all the ingredients into a large pot (eight quarts works fine) and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir well to combine, then turn down the heat to medium, but hot enough to sustain a gentle boil. Cook it for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should cook down to an applesauce consistency in about 30 minutes. If not, increase the heat slightly for the last 15 minutes.

While that’s cooking, sterilize the jelly jars. The recipe makes a dozen half-pints, but pint jars also work well. When the rhubarb has reached the desired consistency, ladle it into the jars, and close the jars with caps and rings.

Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Alternatively, put a jar into the fridge and freeze the rest in appropriately sized batches. It’s great on toast or served over plain yogurt and would make a wonderful filling for a layer cake, balancing the sweetness of the frosting.