Pickled Rhubarb

Our MN girl, Alice, is back with a delicious recipe featuring our favorite summer produce. I was lucky enough to try some of her tasty treat and can personally tell you that it is delicious. Surprisingly so. Who knew that pickling rhubarb would be a good thing?!? Anyways, happy summer to you lovely readers!

Not just for pie, Minnesota’s most delicious vegetable makes a sweet and tangy Pickled Rhubarb.

I walked the aisles of the St. Paul Farmer’s Market, eagerly checking the vendor’s tables for the sign of the red vegetable.

Most tables filled with zucchini, cucumbers and carrots. It was after all the end of July. The weather is hot, the Minnesota State Fair commercials are starting to play on the radio, school supplies are displayed at Target and we start worrying that summer may, in fact, be starting to wind to an end. But my eye caught it, red, vibrant and lovely, rhubarb was still at the market.

We wait with anticipation to see this red beauty emerge after a long winter and we make pies, crisps, syrups and apple sauce.

And Pickled Rhubarb.

Wait, what?

You’ve never heard of pickled rhubarb?

Last winter, I started making pickled red onions for sandwiches and found I loved the sweet and tart brine I made for the onions. This spring I was working on a dinner party menu and thought that it would be fun to pickle some rhubarb for a salad. It was tart, sweet and had a nice vinegar bite. It was unexpected and delicious.

But the real secret, it was really simple to make.

Just a simple brine of vinegar, salt, sugar and spices created a gorgeous pickling liquid that I poured right over the rhubarb.

I let the brine sit right over the rhubarb and stick it in the fridge. It’s great on fresh salads, on an appetizer plate (drizzled with honey and goat cheese) or on sandwiches.

And the end of summer? What’s the old saying? Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Soak up these days of sun, run the days ragged before school starts, get in your garden, laugh sweetly and keep watching for rhubarb at the market, it will be there, ready to make pies, crisp or even to pickle.

Pickled Rhubarb

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 3/4 cups While Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 TB Juniper Berries
• ½ tsp Star Anise
• 2 TB Pickling Spice
• 4 cups Rhubarb chopped

Check out our Kitchen Reference Guide for help with unfamiliar terms.

Instructions

• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine apple cider vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, water, sugar, salt, juniper berries, star anise and pickling spice.
• Once the liquid comes to a boil, remove from heat and set aside.
• Place chopped rhubarb in a quart jar. There is enough liquid to also use a quarter pint if you want, just distribute rhubarb in the two jars.
• Pour the cooled pickling liquid over the rhubarb. Seal and storage in fridge.
• Stores for two weeks.