Rhubarb Butter

*Give-Away closed, thank you for participating! The winner is Donna of Conghaile Cottage.

A mature rhubarb plant can be... prolific. After pies, cakes, crisps and jam, what's left? Rhubarb Butter! Is everyone familiar with fruit butters or is that a Pennsylvania Dutch treat? They're called "butter" because they're smooth and spreadable. While fruit butters won't be the most colorful "spread" on the breakfast buffet, they are tasty! This one's sweet and tangy and my favorite way to enjoy rhubarb.

Who Hoo-A Give-Away!

If you'd like to try some Rhubarb Butter simply leave me a comment saying so and I'll pick a winner on 5/18/12. Make sure I can contact you via e-mail and I'll send this jar to you:@)

Rhubarb Butter
5 C chopped rhubarb, cut stalks no thicker than 1/4"
1 C water
Up to 2 C sugar-I used 1/2 C white and 3/4 C dark brown, tasted it and added 2 Tblsp more white
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Add rhubarb and 1 C water to large heavy bottom pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes breaking down the rhubarb with back of spoon/spatula as you stir.
2. Add sugars and cinnamon and bring back to a simmer, reduce heat to a low bubble. You can use all white or any combo of sugar you'd like.
3. I chose to stir constantly (you just want to make sure it doesn't scorch on the bottom), it took about one hour total. You'll know you're getting close when you run the spatula across the bottom of the pan and the mixture separates and you can see the bottom of the pan, see below. 
4. Ladle into sterilized jars and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. 
5. Place on kitchen towel to cool, count the pops and love life!

Notes:

• As a point of reference, 6 big hearty 14"-16"stalks gave me 5 cups of cut rhubarb. If you end up with more, just add it to the pot.
• The sugar is a matter of personal preference, taste it and add a little more at a time if you think it's not sweet enough.
• This gave me 3 half pint jars, if you get more just put it in a ramekin covered with plastic wrap in the fridge and use it first.
• Fruit butters are traditionally brown folks, but how many times have we heard chefs say "brown=flavor":@)
• What to do with it? It's amazing with cream cheese or peanut butter on toast or a bagel. How about topping cheddar on a cracker. And stay tuned, there may be a coffee cake recipe using butters coming soon...
• Fresh rhubarb freezes beautifully, especially if you use a Food Saver. So if you have some left over in the garden chop it, measure for your favorite recipes and freeze it to enjoy in cakes, pies, etc. later in the year. 
• Here's the Wikipedia definition of Fruit Butter and a pic of butter that's ready to come off the heat:

A fruit butter is a sweet spread made of fruit cooked to a paste, then lightly sweetened. 

It falls into the same category as jelly and jam. 

Have a happy day:@)

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