Description
Rhubarb’s seasonal magic shines in this simple preservation method. Freezing locks in freshness, allowing you to enjoy this tangy garden treasure long after harvest season ends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 cups rhubarb (fresh, chopped)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsps cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter (cold, cut into small pieces)
- 1 9-inch pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
- 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar (for sprinkling on top)
Instructions
- Cleansing: Thoroughly rinse rhubarb stalks under cool running water to eliminate any soil or debris, ensuring a pristine surface.
- Preparation: Carefully remove toxic leaves and trim stalk extremities, creating uniform pieces ready for preservation.
- Sectioning: Slice stalks into consistent segments matching typical recipe requirements, creating uniform pieces for future culinary applications.
- Optional Thermal Treatment: Submerge chopped rhubarb in rapidly boiling water for precisely 60 seconds, immediately transferring to ice-cold water bath to halt cooking process. Meticulously drain and pat dry with clean kitchen towels to remove excess moisture.
- Initial Freezing Technique: Arrange rhubarb pieces in a scattered, non-overlapping formation on parchment-lined baking sheet, positioning in freezer for approximately 2-3 hours until completely solidified.
- Long-Term Storage: Transfer individually frozen rhubarb fragments into designated freezer-safe containers or resilient sealed bags, marking with precise date of preservation and quantitative details for future reference.
Notes
- Thoroughly wash rhubarb stalks under cool water to eliminate dirt and potential debris, ensuring a pristine ingredient for your recipe.
- Always remove toxic leaves completely and cut off stalk ends to prevent any potential health risks and improve overall quality.
- Cut rhubarb into consistent 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces for uniform cooking and better freezing performance.
- Optional blanching helps maintain color, texture, and nutritional value by briefly cooking the rhubarb, preventing enzyme breakdown during freezing.
- Use parchment-lined baking sheet for flash freezing, spreading pieces in single layer to stop rhubarb chunks from sticking together.
- Use labeled freezer bags, removing excess air to prevent freezer burn and maintain rhubarb’s quality for future recipes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: None
- Cuisine: Global
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg