Rhubarb Ketchup — When the Garden Turns Toward the Jar

I drove to Grinnell Saturday. Roger was in the garden — the garden that is his whole world now, the 84-year-old man who tends six tomato plants and twelve sunflowers with the same care he once gave four hundred acres. He's slower but he's still Roger. He still watches the crop reports. He still calls Jack on Wednesdays.

Thursday was tater tot hotdish, because Thursday is always tater tot hotdish and the schedule doesn't change for anything — not pandemics, not loss, not the passage of years. The tater tots go in at 375 and come out golden and the family eats them and the eating is the Thursday and the Thursday is the structure and the structure holds. But I also made pork tenderloin sandwiches earlier this week, because the kitchen doesn't only look backward. The kitchen grows.

Canning approaches. August. The ritual that marks the turn from growing to preserving, from garden to pantry, from the sun to the jar. The pressure canner — Marlene's mother's, weight jiggly, gauge lying, handle replaced twice — waiting in the closet like a veteran reporting for duty. The heirloom equipment for the heirloom work.

With August coming and the pressure canner already waiting in the closet, I’ve been thinking about what goes into the jars first — and rhubarb ketchup is one of those answers that feels almost predetermined, the kind of recipe that belongs to the same world as heirloom equipment and Wednesday phone calls. It isn’t flashy. It’s tangy and spiced and built to last the winter, which is exactly what you want from something you put in a jar. Roger’s garden didn’t grow rhubarb this year, but mine does, and this is how I carry the ritual forward.

Rhubarb Ketchup

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: About 4 half-pint jars

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the base. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the rhubarb, onion, diced tomatoes (with their liquid), and apple cider vinegar. Stir to mix.
2. Add sugars and spices. Stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix until the sugars begin to dissolve.
3. Bring to a boil. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a full boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking on the bottom.
4. Simmer and reduce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 45 minutes until the mixture thickens to a ketchup-like consistency and the rhubarb has fully broken down.
5. Blend for smoothness. Use an immersion blender directly in the pot, or carefully transfer in batches to a blender, and puree until smooth. Return to the pot if needed and bring back to a brief simmer.
6. Prepare jars for canning. Ladle the hot ketchup into sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, apply lids and bands fingertip-tight, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.
7. Cool and store. Remove jars and let cool undisturbed on a towel for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals before storing. Sealed jars keep in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening.

Nutrition (per serving, approximately 2 tablespoons)

Calories: 35 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 40mg