You can't have my rhubarb.

You Can Have My Rhubarb

Rhubarb, rhubarb, nasty stuff, One small bite is just enough. If you have some, don't be greedy, Let's give our rhubarb to the needy. The starving masses are in luck We're loading up a rhubarb truck. Bring all donations that you please We're sending rhubarb overseas. --Grandpa Tucker Copyright ©1997 Bob Tucker

It is tart but not all of us feel that way.  I love it, like the robin it is a harbinger of Spring and gardening season.  A friend of mine had rhubarb growing on her family homestead and does nothing with it.  For years she has let me take whatever I want or she drops it off and she gets a finished product in exchange, like rhubarb relish, strawberry rhubarb jam or an apple rhubarb cobbler.  


The weird weather which we have been having made her rhubarb start growing all over again.  Saturday, 20 pounds of it made it's way to my house.  I had already froze and canned 10 pounds from her in May.   As I am trying to save on my electric bill I have canned some the rhubarb. I knew I had to can some more plain rhubarb but what to do with the rest?   I went on Pinterest and google and searched for rhubarb canning recipes.  As the man and Sir T like spicy food the rhubarb salsa was a must try.  Then I started seeing rhubarb soda, rhubarb lemonade, rhubarb in wine, rhubarb margaritas and knew I had to can some syrup as it can be used to make all of the above.  So I washed, diced, mixed, stirred, canned and got.... 4 quarts of canned rhubarb, 2 pints and 4 small 1/2 pints of rhubarb salsa, 8 small 1/2 pints rhubarb relish, 4 pints and 4 small 1/2 pints of rhubarb syrup. 

 #1 son tried the rhubarb salsa and said it confused him because he doesn't know if it should go on meat or ice cream.  It is delicious and made me sorry I used some rhubarb to can plain as I would have liked more of this.  The syrup is good too and both recipes will be added to the canning keeper recipe book.  I also saw a recipe for rhubodka (rhubarb vodka) which if some more rhubarb should find it's way to my doorstep will be the next recipe to try.  


Since the weather decided to co-operate with me for a change I was able to get a lot of weeding done Sunday morning.  Early yesterday morning, #2 daughter and I weeded, papered and mulched 1/2 of the tomatoes.  Today, I hope we can finish but rain is in the forecast.  Things are starting to finally grow.  My corn is more than knee high and it isn't even the 4th of July!  The potatoes look awesome and the potato bugs have not been that bad and I hope it stays that way.  The man has to install poles and netting for the beans and once the garden is mulched it is wait and see if it produces anything.

Next canning adventure is nanking cherries.

 I wanted to try making jam with them last year but the birds got to them first.  I will win the battle this year.  And all the garden scraps and canning scraps are going to the newest residents.  We picked up our two pigs on Sunday.  Biggest pigs we ever bought but had a hard time finding them this year.  They were named Flame and Broiled, you will see why when I get pictures of them.