The rhubarb season is a short one. Fresh rhubarb starts appearing at the market in early May and suddenly disappears just a few weeks later. I wanted to take advantage of this seasonal fruit (which is technically a vegetable!). I’ve made strawberry rhubarb pie in the past, but this year I wanted to try something simple and fast.
Rhubarb is naturally tart and contains pectin, so it is perfect for jams, jellies and compotes. This recipe takes about five minutes of active work and results in a versatile compote- put it on ice cream, mix it into yogurt, spread it on toast, or even serve it warm over roasted chicken or turkey. The key to bringing out the tartness in the rhubarb is adding plenty of cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 2lbs (about 6 cups) rhubarb, rinsed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 and 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Add all ingredients to a large pot. Cook on high until sugar is dissolved( 2-3 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cool the compote in the fridge (in the pot or an uncovered bowl) for three hours. Serve, store in the fridge (for up to a week) or freeze (for up to 6 months.)
Posted by Shanti on May 7, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Yum. My partner loves rhubarb. Is this last pic how it should look at the end? I imagined it being mushier.
Posted by spartana07 on May 7, 2010 at 1:23 pm
When it is finished cooking, it will be liquid. As it chills in the fridge, the pectin sets and it gets a bit more jelly-like. Pictures of the finished product to come!