Stewed Rhubarb

I e-mailed a friend and asked her if she would have any extra rhubarb this year.  She wrote back and said I could take ALL of it.  So, I did!  Well, not enough to kill the plants, but I came home with 7 pounds of rhubarb (after I took off the leaves and icky parts.)  I really love sweetened, stewed rhubarb and enjoy having it for pancakes, waffles and toast.

Then comes the dilemma... sugar, oh yes.  You can't do it without sugar.  The most natural kind of sugar is dehydrated cane juice, and it is very good, but I don't want my rhubarb to have such a strong molasses flavor, so I opted for Demerara sugar. (Another name is "Turbinado.")  I was able to get organic Demerara at Costco not long ago.  It is only partially refined.  You may, of course, use white sugar!

Stewed Rhubarb

Please adjust proportions according to how much rhubarb you have.

7 pounds rhubarb stalks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
3 cups sugar

Place the rhubarb in a heavy bottomed soup pot and stir in the sugar.  Let it sit for 15 minutes then place it, covered, on your stove, on low heat.  Let it cook until the rhubarb gets mushy.  Then you may can it or freeze it or eat it or keep it in the refrigerator for a while.

I canned mine.  15 minutes in a boiling water bath is all it took. (Consult a canning guide, please.)