Rhubarb Salsa

My heritage comes from farm folks.  It's in my genes.  My grandparents lived through the depression and raised their own food.  They lived a life of necessity.  A good life.  My own mom canned all our food.  What we didn't grow in our garden, we self-picked or I suppose it was given to us.  I don't really remember.  All I remember are the canning days when mom would process pears and can them and tomatoes and grape juice and green beans and corn and relish and pickles and more pickles and hot peppers.  Anything you can imagine, my mom canned or froze. 

Me?  Not so much.  I never got the genes that give me the desire to can.  I go to the store and buy it but I admire those who do can.  My son, bless his heart, is one of those people.  He's only 27 but has been canning for years--pickles, fish, clams, pickled beans and mushrooms.  HE got the genes!  (Maybe they skip a generation....) 

And my husband loves to can as well, so maybe it's turned into a male thing!  He mostly cans fish but branched out to rhubarb salsa this weekend.  And it was good! 

"We" canned 29 jars of salsa and already ate three.  One batch turned out a little runnier but we drank it down like wine! 



If you have an abundance of rhubarb, this is a great way to use some of it. 

My rhubarb has expired for the year, but if you want to be put on a list to have rhubarb shipped to you next season, let me know! 

Rhubarb Salsa

3 cups chopped tomatoes

2 cups chopped rhubarb

1 cup chopped tomatillos

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup chopped chile peppers (a combo of habernero, yellow, spicy, anaheim)

1 tbs garlic paste

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbs cilantro

2 tbs ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup lime (fresh) juice

Wash and sterilize your jars.

Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot. 

Bring mixture to a boil

Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.

Adjust two piece caps.

Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

(My husband used two anaheim and two habernero and it was a mild sauce.)

Enjoy!  Nancy