“Rhubarbecue” Homemade Rhubarb BBQ Sauce
Over the past few years, I’ve come across different versions of this rhubarb BBQ sauce under various different names. Sometimes called Victorian or Victoria Sauce, other times called Rhubarbecue Sauce or the more literal Rhubarb BBQ sauce, this was one recipe that had always piqued my interest, but it called for a fair amount of rhubarb and we didn’t have a rhubarb plant of our own (and I didn’t really want to buy enough to try out the recipe).
But this year we bought our first house and were pleased to find that it came with three large, established rhubarb plants. Earlier this year I used a bunch of rhubarb to make this Rhubarb Juice Concentrate to add to drinks and cocktails, and I finally had enough to try some rhubarbecue sauce for myself.
I followed the recipe for Victorian BBQ sauce in my Ball canning book, but instead of using white vinegar I used apple cider vinegar to give it a slightly sweeter, “maltier” flavour.
*Safety note: If ever you decide to alter the type of vinegar in a canning recipe, make sure that the vinegar you are substituting has the same level or higher level of acidity as the one called for in a tested recipe. In this case, the white vinegar is a standard 5% acidity and I used store-bought 5% acidity apple cider vinegar in its place, maintaining a safe level of acidity in this recipe.
The end product was delicious! It was even better than I actually expected it would be, as I figured it would be a little overly fruity with all of the rhubarb and raisins in the recipe. But the fruitiness balances perfectly with the onions, vinegar and spices and makes this a beautiful homemade barbecue sauce to spread over grilled meats or spread on burger buns.
I got just under 3 pint jars of sauce with this recipe, so I canned two of them and put the other one in the fridge to enjoy this summer. Let me tell you, it didn’t last a week.
We didn’t just eat it with barbecue (although it was delicious spread on burgers with some One-Minute Homemade Mayo), we also used it as a condiment over eggs, macaroni and, yes, I even ate it straight out of the jar with a spoon.
That’s always a testament to a good canning recipe: Would you eat it straight with a spoon? In this case, hell yes. I’ve even taken to giving friends and family “sample tasters” on dessert spoons when they come to visit. But I’m definitely not giving any of these jars away!
I loved this recipe so much, in fact, that I decided having two jars put away was not going to cut it. So I harvested some more rhubarb (I just love that it has such a long growing season!) and made another batch of this sauce.
So now I have 4 pint jars put away and I’ve replaced the one in my fridge with a new one as this recipe always seems to make just under 3 pint jars per batch… even though the recipe in the book says it should make 4 pint jars. Maybe I just reduce mine a little too much? Please, let me know how many jars you get when you try this recipe out for yourself!
How to Make Rhubarb BBQ Sauce
Start by preparing your jars and lids if you’re planning on canning this sauce to make it shelf-stable (otherwise store in the fridge). Then, for the ingredients you’ll need 8 cups of chopped fresh rhubarb (toxic leaves removed, of course), 3 ½ cups of brown sugar, 1 ½ cups chopped raisins, ½ cup of chopped white onion, ½ cup of 5% acidity apple cider vinegar (or substitute white vinegar) and 1 teaspoon each of salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.
Throw it all in a large, stainless steel pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Then reduce heat to about medium to medium-high and boil the mixture gently until all of the ingredients begin to break down and mixture thickens up to the consistency of a standard store-bought barbecue sauce. This process of boiling gently and stirring frequently until the sauce thickens takes a total of about 30 minutes to get it to the right consistency.
Now, you could can it just like this as the ingredients do break down quite well during the boiling process. But personally I prefer a really smooth barbecue sauce, so to ensure there are no lumps or clumps of rhubarb or raisins in my sauce, I use my beloved Breville immersion blender to blend the sauce to a really smooth consistency.
Then it’s time to can it up! Be sure to leave ½-inch headspace and process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then remove and let cool completely before storing.
Enjoy it as a marinade on chicken or pork (I think it would be fantastic on pork ribs) or as a condiment on, well, pretty much anything if you’re at all like me;)
I’m all about using sauces and dips with pretty much every meal, and I find this particular sauce really versatile! So it’s definitely worth the effort of collecting 8 cups worth of rhubarb for, even if you have to buy it at the market:)
Canning tools I use and love:
- Canning Funnel
- Canning Scoop
- Jar Lifter
- Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (this recipe is adapted from this book)
“Rhubarbecue” Homemade Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
- 3 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups chopped raisins
- ½ cup chopped white onion
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity or substitute white vinegar)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground allspice
Instructions
- Prepare your canner, jars and lids. Wash your jars and bands in hot, soapy water, rinse and bring to a simmer in your water bath canner to sterilize. Always use new lids for safe preserving.
- Combine rhubarb, brown sugar, raisins, onion, vinegar, salt and spices in a large, stainless steel pot and bring to a boil on high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium/medium-high and boil gently, stirring frequently until ingredients break down and form into a thick sauce.
- Use an immersion blender to blend sauce until smooth (or omit this part if you don't mind a few chunks of rhubarb and raisins in your sauce).
- Ladle into hot Mason jars leaving ½-inch headspace at the top. Slide a knife around the inner "edge" of the jar to remove any air bubbles. Adjust headspace as needed. Wipe rims, place lids on top and screw bands on.
- Place jars in canner and bring water to a boil. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, then turn heat off, remove lid and let cool in your canner for another 5 minutes. Remove jars and allow to cool completely before storing.
Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness 🙂
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It’s easy to romanticize homesteading, but the truth is that those homegrown vegetables, those freshly laid eggs, that loaf of bread rising on the counter, and that pantry full of home-canned food takes time, effort and dedication. It doesn’t “just happen” overnight!
But if you work on learning one new skill at a time and gain confidence in it before moving onto the next, one day you’ll be looking back and marvelling at how far you’ve come.
That’s where I’m at now. Life today looks a lot different than it did 10 years ago, when our homesteading and self-reliance journey was just beginning.
Back then we still lived in our city condo and were just beginning to dabble in all of this stuff. But my husband Ryan and I felt a sense urgency to start pursuing a more self-reliant lifestyle, and we committed to taking small steps, one day at a time to make that vision a reality.
Over the years we’ve continued to put one foot in front of the other, adding new skills and tackling new projects along the way that have helped us get to where we are today.
While there’s always more we want to learn and do, as I look around me right now, I’m so grateful that we took those first steps, especially considering what’s happened in the world over the past few years!
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There are so many reasons to grow your own food at home:
💰 Saves you money at the grocery store
🍴 Healthier than conventionally grown food
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🫙 Gives you an abundance to preserve and share
But perhaps the number one reason is because it just tastes better!
Not only does food taste better when it’s freshly picked or allowed to ripen on the vine, there’s something about putting in the work to grow something from a tiny seed and then getting to see it on your dinner plate that just makes it so much more satisfying than anything you’ll ever buy from the store.
Plus, having to wait all year for fresh tomatoes or strawberries or zucchinis to be in season makes that short period when they’re available just that much more exciting!
With the world spinning out of control and food prices continuing to rise, it’s no wonder more people are taking an interest in learning to grow their own food at home. But that also means changing our relationship with food and learning to appreciate the work that goes into producing it and the natural seasonality of organically grown fruits and vegetables.
(It also means learning to preserve it so you can make the most of it and enjoy homegrown food all year long).
In my online membership program, The Society of Self-Reliance, you’ll learn how to grow your own food, from seed to harvest, as well as how to preserve it so you can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor all year long!
You’ll also learn how to grow and craft your own herbal medicine, detox your home, become your own handyman, and so much more (because self-reliance is about more than just the food that we eat… But that’s a pretty good place to start!)
The doors to the Society are now open for a limited time only. Click the link in my profile or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society to learn more.
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If you’ve been watching events unfold over the past few years and you’re feeling called to start “cutting ties” with the system and begin reclaiming your independence, The Society of Self-Reliance was made for you!
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I only open the doors to The Society once or twice each year, but right now, for one week only, you can become a member for just $20/month (or $200/year).
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Got out for an early morning harvest today. Been up since 3am, contemplating life, the future and the past, the order of things…
There is a rumbling right now, not just in North America, but around the world. Many of us can feel it, and know we are on the precipice of something big.
I’d been hearing about this new song that’s become an overnight viral sensation, written by an (until now) unknown singer named Oliver Anthony. His new song Rich Men North of Richmond has had 14 million views on YouTube in the past week alone, so I decided to check it out.
I also saw a clip of him playing a Farmers Market last week, and anything that has to do with Farmers Markets always has my attention;)
I can’t tell you how many tears I’ve already cried listening to that song. If you’ve heard it already, you probably know what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t, I highly recommend giving it a listen. All I can say is it’s been a while since a song resonated so deeply with me, and in this strange new world, I know I’m not the only one.
One of the lines in Anthony’s song is “Livin’ in the new world, with an old soul,” and that’s something I think so many of us in the homesteading community can relate to.
Trying to cling to better days; To a simpler time; To the old ways, all while doing our best to get by in the new world.
The world has changed drastically in the last few years especially, and it’s set to change in immense ways over the next few years. Today I’m feeling thankful for people like @oliver_anthony_music_ who give a voice to what so many are feeling right now.
Know that if you’re feeling it too, you’re far from alone. And while the future may feel uncertain and even a little scary, remember that if we stand united, we the people are a force to be reckoned with.
(Continued in comments…)
Another garlic harvest in the books!
Garlic is easily one of my favourite crops to grow. It’s pretty much a “set if and forget it” crop. We plant in the fall and leave it to overwinter, fertilize a couple times in the spring, start watering only once the ground starts to dry out, and then harvest in the summer. We can even plant a fall succession crop after our garlic if we want so it really makes great use of garden space all year round.
Over the years we’ve managed to become completely self-sufficient with garlic. We now grow enough to eat all year (and then some!), plus we save our own seed garlic and usually have extra to sell or give away. And around here fresh, organic garlic ain’t cheap, so it’s a good cash crop for anyone who’s serious about selling it.
It took me a few years to really get the hang of garlic, but it’s one crop I’m now very confident with (knock on wood, because it’s always when we make statements like this that next year’s crop fails! Lol.)
A while back I compiled a comprehensive guide to growing, harvesting and using garlic both as an edible and medicinal crop. This is usually only available as part of a paid bundle (or in the fall 2022 issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine if you’re a subscriber;), but for a limited time I’m offering it for free, no strings attached!
Plus you’ll also get access to my step-by-step video lesson on planting garlic so you can set yourself up for success with your garlic crop this year.
Comment “Garlic” below or head to thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-guide to get your free copy!
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Going through photos and videos from our trip to the @modernhomesteadingconference and the vast majority are of our daughter having the time of her life!
Even if I personally got nothing else out of this gathering (which I most certainly did), watching her discover her own love of this lifestyle outside of what we do at home made my heart grow three sizes!
Homesteading is about so much more than homegrown food and self-reliance. It’s about passing on invaluable skills and an understanding of and respect for our connection to the land that provides for us to the next generation.
Being around so many other kids and families who are also pursuing a homesteading lifestyle helped show our little one that this is a movement that is so much bigger and greater than what our own family does on our little plot of land. This is a lifestyle worth pursuing, with a community unlike any other.
Glad to be back home and more excited than ever to involve my kids in everything we’re doing. But also, I think I speak for my whole family when I say we can’t wait to go back someday!
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#homesteading #modernhomesteading #raisinglittles
If you’re simply looking for ways to save a little extra cash this summer and live well for less, here are 12 tried and tested frugal living tips for summer that you can use to save money this season without sacrificing a thing.
Head over using the link in my bio!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-frugal-living-tips-summer/
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A brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine just dropped!
In this issue:
🌱 How to forage and use five common edible and medicinal weeds
🏠 A sustainable, affordable alternative to traditional homes, greenhouses and more
👨👩👧👦 Tips for managing a homestead while raising a family (big or small!)
🫙 What to focus on when preserving food for true food security
🌹 How to grow and arrange your own cut flowers at home
🍓 The many ways to preserve summer berries (including 5 delicious recipes!)
💇How to make your own all-natural herbal hair care products at home
🧑🌾 Why “community sufficiency” is the new self-sufficiency
And more!
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com (or click the link in my bio) to subscribe or login to the library and read the latest issue.
Plus, be sure to check out all of our past issues as well! There’s a wealth of information in our library on everything from farming and gardening to cooking and canning to herbal medicine, natural living and so much more!
*** This will be the last quarterly issue! ***
This little magazine has grown so much over the past 4 years and 32 issues, and now it’s time for another exciting evolution.
I’m excited to announce that we will be moving to an even more robust annual publication with the intention of offering the first ever print edition this fall if there is enough demand.
I’m also excited to announce the brand new Modern Homesteading Magazine blog, which is currently under construction and will be launching soon. While we will still be maintaining digital subscriptions, the blog will be accessible to all, free of charge, so that more people might benefit from the empowering and increasingly important information that we cover in each issue.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this issue happen! @homesteadingfamily @oatsandhoneyhomestead @omnivore.culture @thetaylor.leigh @doeraydesign (and more who don’t have IG pages;)
And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has subscribed over the years. Modern Homesteading Magazine would never have become what it is today without each and every one of you.
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If you’ve ever grown your own garlic, you might have noticed the spiral-shaped shoots that suddenly pop up in the centre of the stem, usually about a month or so before the garlic bulbs themselves are ready to be harvested.
These are garlic scapes, and believe it or not- they make delicious pesto! Get the recipe through the link in my bio- https://thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-scape-pesto/
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This honey and chive blossom vinaigrette is a frugal, easy and healthy homemade salad dressing that pairs beautifully with fresh garden salads all season long.
Get the recipe through the link in my bio.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/chive-blossom-vinaigrette/
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Whether you live in the city and grow a few herbs on your balcony, have a few backyard chickens in the suburbs or live in the country and have a larder full of enough home-canned food to survive the apocalypse, if living a more homemade, homegrown, self-sufficient lifestyle is important to you, Modern Homesteading Magazine was made for you!
Read it today through the link in my bio!
https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com/
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This radish top pesto recipe makes good use of the edible radish greens that often get discarded once they’re separated from the root. The end result is a peppery, slightly spicy twist on a classic pesto recipe.
A perfect condiment for all your summer snacking!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/radish-top-pesto-recipe/
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Can I omit the ginger unfortunately I’m allergic to it.
Yes, feel free to omit the ginger:)
Thank you for posting this. We had so much Rhubarb last summer and ended up making a batch (8 pint jars). We cranked up the spice a little bit per our personal preference, but its really a great recipe! We’ve only made smoked ribs and crockpot meatballs for Christmas Eve with it so far but both times it was a hit! We’ll be making this every year. Bye bye storebought bbq sauce!
I was blessed to be able to harvest additional rhubarb today and made a double batch of this sauce. Used my lovely new immersion blender- definitely have a smooth sauce. I wound up with 2 pints and 10 half pints. I cannot rave about this sauce enough!!
That’s wonderful to hear, Roberta! Enjoy!
I just made this yesterday and absolutely love it. I also ended up with just under 3 pints. The next time I will utilize 1/2 pints as I opened my big mouth and promised a jar to my grandson and my sister!!
Next season this will be the first thing I make (multiple batches)!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s one of my favourites too:)
I made this earlier today with my homegrown rhubarb. Very delicious and such a creative way to use it up. I would think this would taste good on just about anything you put it on. I plan on trying it out on grilled pork chops but I could easily put this on yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies or on a tea biscuit or scone. Really good stuff.
Hi there.
I just made this today and it’s delicious.
How long is this good to store in my pantry?
If you canned it according to the instructions in the post it will be good in your pantry for at least a year. I have some that’s a couple years old and is still fine. After a year the quality may start to degrade but it will still be safe to eat.
Could dried plums be substituted for the raisens?
This should be okay (I presume you mean prunes). Prunes are slightly more acidic than raisins and since there is added vinegar it shouldn’t be a problem to substitute them. Just be sure to stick to the same amounts.
Wondering if I might be able to sub frozen rhubarb. We live in a cooler climate so I often cut up and freeze my rhubarb for winter use.
Yes, absolutely! You can use frozen rhubarb in place of fresh:)
Would you use the same measurements?
Yes same quantities. Just measure from frozen:)
Just got done making a batch and I am so pleased with the results. I made a few adjustments for my taste which included doubling the onion, doubling the vinegar, adding two large cloves of garlic, and adding 1 tsp smoked paprika to the spices. Because I doubled the vinegar, it may have needed a few extra minutes of stove-time. It is still sweeter than your average bbq sauce, but the spice combo definitely “says” grilled meat. Will be making this again soon!
You inspired me to use up some rhubarb sauce languishing in the back of the fridge. Skipped the sugar since the sauce had it; added a little cumin because I can never leave well enough alone. So good!
I’m allergic to tomatoes so alternatives are always welcome!
Ooh! That sounds good! I like the idea of adding cumin. 🙂
Wondering if I can adapt this to a electric pressure cooker. Any tips?
Hi Aimee,
If you mean you’d like to adapt it to cook in a pressure cooker, that should be no problem. Since it’s a sauce, you can’t really overcook it. If you’re talking about canning in an electric pressure cooker, this is a no-no. You should never can in a pressure cooker. Only a pressure canner. While this is more important for foods that must be pressure canned (ie. meat, vegetables and other low-acid foods), I would jus steer clear of canning in a pressure cooker altogether. But to cook this in an electric pressure cooker would be just fine. Not sure if the timing but I would imagine it shouldn’t take more than about 5 to 10 minutes on high pressure to get it to a state where it’s soft enough to blend!
I know this is all about canning but if you weren’t set on canning, I would think you substitute other fruit (mango’s anyone?) and add hot peppers but freeze it instead. Or have a celebration and BBQ massive quantities and don’t worry about the canning at all!!
Hi Jacqueline!
If you’re not canning this then you are free to get as creative as possible with this sauce! Mangoes sound delicious! and hot peppers too:) Just make sure if you are planning on canning it, you stick to a tested recipe for safety reasons. Otherwise the sky’s the limit!
How long will this last in the fridge if it is not canned?
Hi Rochelle,
I’ve had extra leftover that I put in a jar without canning and it lasted us a good two or three weeks (probably closer to a month actually). Not sure how much longer it would last as we tend to go through it by then! But I’ve never had any jars spoil in the fridge, regardless of whether they were canned first or not.
Oh, thank you so much! This is exactly the recipe I’ve been looking for. We have such an abundance of rhubarb here and this will be perfect to use some up!
No problem! This is one of my absolute faves. Just ran out of last year’s batch and have to make some more!
Hi Anna,
Can I add hot peppers to add some spiciness? Or would that change the ph enough to worry about?
Thank you,
kathy
Hi Kathy,
It’s not recommended to add peppers to canning recipes as this can affect the PH balance. You can safely leave out peppers from a tested recipe, but adding them in can possibly be a cause for concern as peppers (even hot ones) are a low-acid fruit. I would love to say “go ahead and add one or two because you’ll probably be just fine,” but I also feel it’s better to err on the side of caution and stick to tested recipes.
Or add a dash of cayenne pepper perhaps should be fine
What else could I use in place of the raisins?
Hi Molly,
This recipe is adapted from a Ball canning recipe that calls for raisins, so I wouldn’t feel comfortable advising any type of swap in this case. The reason for this is that, while in normal cooking recipes, you might swap dates or dried cranberries or something for raisins, in canning this can affect the PH balance of the finished product which can make the recipe unsafe for consumption. I tried researching safe substitutes for raisins in canning but unfortunately didn’t find any trusted sources that could recommend a swap. I would advise sticking with the raisins in this case to be on the safe side. I will say, however, that if you’re on the fence about using raisins because you don’t like them, you would honestly never know there were raisins in this recipe when all is said and done. They get puréed completely and blended in. I hope this helps! Sorry I can’t suggest a safe substitute. Such is the science of canning though. Better safe than sorry.