It’s time for our first sweet harvests of the season – rhubarb is here and strawberries are not far behind. I get really excited when I see new seasonal produce in the market and whether I have a plan for it or not, I buy it. That is how I ended up with four giant stalks of rhubarb in my fridge.
I had originally intended on making a crumble, but it just didn’t happen. I had rhubarb getting flaccid in my fridge and so I decided to turn this tangy, sour stalk, often found in back lanes across Canada, into something sweet, smooth and delicious.
Something you may not know: Rhubarb is higher in calcium than milk per cup – milk has 300 mg, rhubarb has 380 mg.
I know you are not going to go and eat a whole cup of rhubarb, otherwise you would end up with terrible…um…rapid evacuation (it always comes back to poop with nutritionists).
Today I am sharing two amazing thubarb recipes with you for fruity spreadables. We have straight up Rhubarb Butter and a wonderful early summer variation of Strawberry Rhubarb Butter.
The main difference between a fruit ‘butter’ and a jam is that we’re pureeing the finished product to a smooth texture. You could, of course, keep it chunkier and call it a jam. As with all of the jams I make, I swap out the sugar for honey and use whole apples, or in some cases applesauce, in place of powdered pectin. This just helps to make the jam or butter a little more natural and unprocessed.
I eliminated all sweeteners from my diet a couple of years ago (you can read more about exactly how I did that here), and if you’re trying to reduce or ditch natural sweeteners, you can swap the honey for more apples in the Rhubarb Butter, or more apples and/or strawberries in the Strawberry Rhubarb Butter. If needed, you can add a little bit of honey afterwards.
This spread goes amazingly well on the Banana Berry Oatmazing Muffins from my cookbook, and also is perfect on a slice of my grain free almond bread.
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Rhubarb Butter
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Description
An easy 5 ingredient rhubarb butter recipe using all natural ingredients.
Ingredients
- 4 stalks of rhubarb (about 4 cups)
- 1 apple, cored and cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4–1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Puree together the apple and rhubarb until smooth in your food processor or vitamix.
- Pour apple/rhubarb mixture into a pot and mix in honey, vanilla and cinnamon.
- Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce to simmer and continue to stir every 4-5 minutes or so.
- Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
- Pour into jar, (if canning, do your canning thing) and allow to cool.
- Store in the fridge.
- Category: Condiments
As I mentioned above, adding strawberries to the mix makes an awesomely simple variation. You can also swap both the strawberries and rhubarb and do the same with apples, pears, plums, peaches or any of your favourite market-fresh fruit.
These butters also make an excellent filling for thumbprint cookies!
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Strawberry Rhubarb Butter
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
Description
A simple strawberry rhubarb butter using all natural ingredients.
Ingredients
- 3–4 cups strawberries – remove stems
- 2 stalks of rhubarb (about 2 cups)
- 2 apples, cored and cut into chunks
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4–1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Puree together the strawberries, rhubarb and apples until smooth in your food processor or vitamix.
- Pour the strawberry, rhubarb and apple mixture into a pot and mix in honey, vanilla and cinnamon.
- Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce to simmer and continue to stir every 4-5 minutes or so.
- Cook for about 30 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
- Pour into jar, (if canning, do your canning thing) and allow to cool
- Store in the fridge.
- Cuisine: Condiments
185 responses to “Quick and Sweet Rhubarb Butter & Strawberry Rhubarb Butter”
Wow, I had no idea that rhubarb had so much calcium! This looks absolutely delicious:)
This recipe is seriously delicious!
This recipe looks amazing. Did you peel the apples and the rhubarb?
I don’t peel them. But if you do choose to, you will get a nicer colour :)
Your rhubarb butter recipe calls for 4 stalks. Could you please tell me how many cups this is as the stalks come in varying sizes and does make a difference between 6 cups and 12 cups.
The recipe is very forgiving. You might just have to adjust the honey to your desired sweetness.
love your recipes
★★★★★
Thank you!
If I have frozen rhubarb from last year, could I thaw it and use that? Also, how much 4 stalks and 2 stalks approximately convert to in cups?
You sure can! And it would likely depend on the size of the stalks. The recipe is very forgiving. You might just have to adjust the honey to your desired sweetness.
Would there be any problem using Stevia powder instead of honey in this recipe? Looks good.
Hmmmm. I am not personally a fan of stevia so I don’t ever use it. If you like the taste, and are comfortable heating it, I suppose it might work but I’ll have to leave that one with you.
How long would this last, considering it is all fresh ingredients, if you’re not canning it?
It should last 2 weeks in the fridge, or you could always freeze it too!
I’m super excited to try this recipe. Can you tell me if you peeled the apples or rhubarb?
I don’t peel them. But if you do choose to, you will get a nicer colour :)
Any kind of apple? If so, what is the best kind?
The best kind of apples will be the ones that grow close to home :) Any apple will work, but I personally love the crunchy tartness of Fuji, Pink Lady and Honey Crisp in most of my recipes.
How long do you process it if you can it?
I am not personally experienced in canning. I recommend seeking out some canning directions you trust.
Your recipe sounds wonderful, and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time! I’m trying a rhubarb jam recipe today, but it looks like an epic fail. This looks and sounds wonderful, but I am with the others, guestimate as to how many cups of rhubarb you should use? I know recipes *are* forgiving, but a rough guess? Thanks!
3-4 cups should do the trick!
Thanks for lovely and refreshing idea. Lilacs and rhuhbarb makes one know Spring is here….
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I’m cooking up a patch right now and can’t wait to try some. Could the strawberry/rhubarb butter be frozen? Thank you.
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You bet it can!
Have you tried cooking before purée step (like applesauce)? Just curious.
Yes, I do this sometimes too. For this one I typically prefer blending first as it makes it easier to gauge how much I want to reduce it. But either way would work fine!
How many cups does 4 stalks of rhubarb equal? Stalks can vary so much in size…
About 3 cups chopped.
Just made the Rhubarb Butter. So delicious!! Going to make the strawberry rhubarb tomorrow!
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Have you canned this? (Hot water bath style?)
Wondering how much this makes, for jar prep:)
Sounds amazing! My family loves apple butter & this would be a fun way to introduce another fruit butter.
Water bath canning isn’t my jam (pun intended!) but check out my friends over at WellPreserved.ca. They may be able to help you out.
I’m wondering about “the canning thing”. Is a water bath, processed for 10 minutes sufficient?
Water bath canning isn’t my jam (pun intended!) but check out my friends over at WellPreserved.ca. They may be able to help you out.
You mention substituting applesauce instead of the whole apple. Would you do about 1 cup applesauce? I’m wondering on the amount. Thanks – excited to try this! We have lots of rhubarb I want to use up in our yard!
Yes, that would be about right. Enjoy!
How much does this recipe make? How many and how big jars does it fill?
About 2 cups. It would fill one 500ml jar (or 1 jar that holds up to two cups)
I have some pomegranate honey, do you think that it would taste good in the rhubarb butter?
I bet it would be delicious!
I decided to use it and it turned out delicious. I seriously recommend it :) thank you for the recipe
I am so excited to make this! Just wondering how long it will last in the fridge?
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Should last about a week.
I absolutely adore rhubarb! My Grandmother who was from Canada used to grow it. So I grew up eating it! Can’t wait toake this!!! It’s awesome in oatmeal too!
Hi Meghan,
How much will you get out of 4 stalks of rhubarb,like ounces or cups.I have some here but it’s already cut in cubes,so how much will that make like in cups?
How many cups do your cubes make? 4 large stalks is likely about 6-8 cups of rhubarb when cut in cubes? Is that what you’re asking?
I allergic to honey (via honey bees), trust me I’ve asked if cooking it changes things…no
So, in place of the honey, what would you suggest…obviously it will have to be sugar, but how much, and can you use a sugar sub. ….thanks
Sure thing. You could use an equal amount of organic cane sugar or coconut sugar.
This got rave reviews from the people who tried it. However, mine turned out not looking rosy like your picture, so I was wondering if perhaps you used clear vanilla?
I’m super excited to try this! Is there a certain kind of apple you used? And did you leave the skin in the apple? Thanks!
Hi Lauren, thanks for your message! You can choose the apples of your liking. If you have a high-speed blender, or a good food processor, you can leave the skins on.
How many servings or jars does this make?
Hi Rachel, it makes one medium sized jar.
I am going to make this, but wondering what you mean by a medium jar? Is that a pint jar, half pint jar? I know there are smaller jars. I’m thinking you mean a pint jar, right?
How long does a jar of this last in the refrigerator if one does not do the canning?
It typically lasts between 5-7 days depending on how often you are going into the jar.
If you process a large batch of this through a water bath canner? How long of a water bath and how long would the shelf life be? Assuming I would add a bit of lemon juice to increase the acidity?
Hi Sara, I can only advise you on the jarring method, but I encourage you to try canning and let me know how it goes!
Typically, you process one cup jars of jam for 10 minutes in a water boiling canner. Go to Bernardin.com and follow their canning instructions for any fruit jam.
Thank you Jaqueline!
I do the canning thing so after I process the jars can they be left on my canning shelves or do they have to go in the fridge like it says in the recipe?
Hi Theresa, if you do the canning, I would recommend that you stick to the process you typically do with your canning.
If you have a way of editing the recipe you posted. You may want to add some of the answers you have given people. Such as shelf life, and I see you have the yield amount on the first recipe, but the following do not. Cn’t wait to try this. I love Rhubarb.
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Could you use freeze this as in a freezer jam?
Hi Shannon! Yes, you can store it in the freezer, and take it out once you are ready to use it.
Do this in your crock pot and it will cook down without all that stirring. Works for me cos I can’t burn it !
How long in crockpot? High or low?
Can you freeze this like freezer jam?
Hi Louise! Yes, you can store it in the freezer, and take it out once you are ready to use it.
HI! My rhubarb is already chopped up and in the freezer. How many cups of chopped rhubarb do 4 stalks of rhubarb make? Thanks
Hi Veronica! Sounds like you are prepped and ready to make this heavenly treat. I would use about 3 cups of your chopped rhubarb in this recipe – depends on how tangy you want it to be.
I’m ready to make this rhubarb Butter right now, but I’m not sure how much rhubarb 4 stalks is. Is it 4 cups of diced rhubarb? Please answer soon :) Waiting patiently
Hi Janel! Patience will be rewarded. :) The size of rhubarb stalks vary – you should get about 3 cups of diced rhubarb. However, this recipe is very forgiving – so you can adjust the sweetness to suit your taste if your rhubarb stalks are bigger.
Can I can this and put on my shelf in the basement or does it have to be refrigerated?
Yes, this needs to go in the fridge!
If you can this then it is shelf stable.
Yes, that’s true. Canning isn’t my area of expertise, but there are lots of great resources out there about it. Well Preserved and the Batch cookbook offer amazing advice for all kinds of preservation techniques!
Sounds amazing. Hopefully I can try it soon.
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when you use applesauce instead of apples how much do you use
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You can use 1/4 – 1/3 cup applesauce.
Can you plz share more recipes.
I tried those recipes and it turned out really good
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Making it but it is a bit runny, how can I thicken? I’m making the strawberry rhubarb butter.
It will thicken up in the fridge. If it’s still not thick enough for you, try mixing in a teaspoon of ground chia or ground flax. You could also try a bit of arrowroot flour or coconut flour, or gelatin if you consume animal products.
Hi, I made the recipe using apples. It smells and tastes great; however, not red. Can you help me understand why?
I should clarify… the rhubarb with apple (red) version. I also used my Vitamix before cooking.
Our rhubarb was really green so we added a little bit of a beet to get the red color.
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How much Apple does your 1 Apple make. We have trees and the apples are smaller. Approx 1c? So 3c Rhubarb 1c apple?
Do you peel the apples?
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Hi Susan, thanks for your message! I don’t peel the apples, but you could try both ways.
This rhubarb butter was delicious. I will keep this in the freezer. Yummy on my gluten free toast. I added a pinch of sea salt
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How long do you find it to stay good in that fridge (with not canning)? Thanks
Hi Tessa, it lasts about a week in the fridge.
This looks delicious.
I am cutting up my rhubarb
and I just pick up some fresh
Strawberries this afternoon
from the market.
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Just wondering, how many pints does this make
Hi Peggy, it makes one jar, approximately 250ml.
How many cups of rhubarb is that?
Thanks for your question Maureen! Four large stalks of Rhubarb will give you about 4 cups.
HOW big are you cutting up the rhubarb??? You would get different cup amounts depending on if you cut in 1″ cubes, or if you dice it. I like to dice mine, as it is not as hard on my blender. Don’t have a fancy vitamix food processor.
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Hi Mary-Margaret, typically I cut them into 1′ cubes. Enjoy!
I want to make just peach butter
Sounds delicious, give it a try!
If you swap out the rhubarb and strawberries, do you always use at least 1 one apple?
I would use at least a couple of apples as a replacement.
How many cups is four stalks of rhubarb..? Home grown and no clue. People like measurements’ right?
Hi Marie – I’ve updated the recipes with approximate cup amounts. My recipes tend to be very flexible so whatever size of rhubarb you have will work!
I’m going to have a bumper crop of rhubarb this year so I was happy to find your recipes for something different to make with rhubarb.
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I have never put anything in my Vitamix without liquid. Are you assuming we will use liquid or does it actually work without liquid?
The recipe works as is. There should be enough liquid in the fruit to help it blend – but if your fruit is drier for some reason you could add a couple of tbsp of water to help it along. The Vitamix is strong so if you have one you should be all good!
My rhubarb butter does not look that bright red and smooth. It looks more like a brownish rhubarb sauce with the consistency of apple sauce. It also has a bitter after taste. Any suggestions?
I’m not sure which one you made – the plain rhubarb butter or the strawberry rhubarb – but some rhubarb is brighter in colour than others. You could try adding more strawberries to make it redder, or raspberries too.
This looks lovely! Cant wait to try. How long does it keep?
About a week in the fridge – enjoy!
Have you ever tried freezing it?
Yes, it freezes well.
Hi,
I am interested in canning the rhubarb butter. Please provide the canning information needed – how many minutes of waterbath needed for half-pint and pint jars. What time is needed at high altitudes (I live at over 4000 ft altitude). Thank you.
Hi Aurora! I’m not a canning expert. You can check out the cookbook Batch, or this website: https://www.wellpreserved.ca/.
Can the rhubarb butter be frozen? I do the freezer jams for my family. They never last long anyway.
Yes, this freezes well.
Meghan, I’m only a man and like cooking.
Probably stupid questions but I’ll ask them anyway.
Should I peel the apples?
Should they be eating or cooking apples?
Going to try your recipe.
Patrick
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Hi Patrick! You don’t need to peel the apples if they are organic – there are a lot of nutrients in the apple skins. Any variety of apple is fine in this recipe, though I prefer eating apples here.
I’m always looking for rhubarb recipes trying to find something new for the family to eat. Can’t wait for my rhubarb to come up a little more so I can pick and make the rhubarb butter. Looks so good! Nice that it can be put in the freezer too!
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Could you use agave in place of the honey?
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Yes, you could – though you may want to use less. Agave is very sweet.
This looks yummy but I’m on a low carb diet. Could you substitute stevia for honey or would that be a problem with the consistency of the butter?
You could try stevia – I haven’t tried it in this recipe (personally not a fan of the flavour). It shouldn’t affect the consistency too much. Let me know how it turns out!
This would be a great topping for vanilla ice cream!
Totally!
What happens if you make it without honey or an added sweetener? Does it need it for any other reason than taste?
The rhubarb butter would likely be quite tart without the honey, the strawberry rhubarb would have more sweetness. You could certainly try these without the honey, or use less.
I chopped the rhubarb and apple ( with peel) and chopped it further in my food processor, then poured it into the Ninja with the other ingredients and it came out very smooth, like thick applesauce. Also, I didn’t have enough honey, so added brown sugar. It’s yummy!
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How much sugar would be used since I have family that are allergic to honey?
You could try maple syrup or a 1/2 cup dry sweetener.
Diabetic so have to watch my carbs!
How many pint jars does one batch fill?
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The yield on this recipe is about 1 cup, so it will probably fill about half a pint jar.
What type of apple did you use?
You can make this with virtually any variety of apple you enjoy. Sweeter varieties will make the overall recipe sweeter.
Can you freeze this? It looks wonderful!
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Yes, this freezes really well. You can also freeze in ice cube trays for small portions or for adding to smoothies.
can I use a blender in place of a processor?
Yes, you could!
Sounds delicious, though I would recommend cooling in something other than a jar, like pie pans or casserole dishes, and under refrigeration. Forgive me, I just took my food service manager recertification exam.
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I do not have a good processor just a blender. Could I still do this with peels on apples?
Yes, you should be able to keep the peels on in the blender. If your blender isn’t strong, you could steam or saute the apples first until they have softened so they will be easier to blend.
Does this have to be stored in the fridge after canning or can it be stored like other canned goods or barring that frozen?
This isn’t a canning recipe – that’s not my area of expertise – so I’m not sure how this would hold up when canned. Better to put this one in the freezer for long-term storage.
Looks delicious, however, 4 stalks of any rhubarb I’ve ever grown would never provide anything even close to 4 cups. Is this your accurate measurement?
Hi Elizabeth. Yes, you’re right that the size of rhubarb stalks vary. My recipes are very forgiving, so unless you have way less rhubarb (say 1 cup vs closer to 4), this recipe should still turn out.
Would love to try but can’t have honey, could I use maple syrup instead or a sweetener like stevia or swerve.
Thank you
Maple syrup would be my first choice as a replacement over stevia. I personally don’t like the taste of stevia.
Sounds delish
Can you use fruit pectin and if so how much? Also i can freeze this right? I will be putting this in jars
I’ve never tested this recipe with fruit pectin, so I don’t know. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
I made this recipe with rhubarb- about 4 cups, blueberries about 4 cups, 2 chopped apples- added the rest of ingredients but I doubled it- boiled for a few minutes turned down to simmer and stirring every 5 minutes or so after about 20 minutes wasn’t thickening like my plain rhubarb butter so I added in a packet of Strawberry gelatin- perfect- let it simmer another 10-15 minutes or so and it thickens beautifully!! Just thought I would let you know!! Wonderful recipe thank you so much!!
Erika
Thanks for sharing, Erika! Glad you liked it.
Yumm! This was the first post I saw when I hopped on today, and I have some rhubarb outside that I need to pick, but not enough to can a full batch of anything. So this will be perfect! And Ive never made butter before, thanks! I’ll be doing this recipe, for sure!
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How long will this stay good in the fridge? Or freezer?
About a week in the fridge. It should keep in the freezer for a couple of months.
You state that you are pureeing the final product but thats not one of the steps in the recipe. Should it be pureed after you boil it?
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Hi Shelley! You’re pureeing in step 1, before you cook the fruit.
Will it last longer than a week if you can in water bath?
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I’ve never tried canning this recipe, as that’s not my area of expertise. It stores well in the freezer.
Do I peel the apples?
No need to peel them.
I love the idea of making rhubarb butter! Our whole family loves rhubarb. My only concern is by boiling the honey it may weaken or destroy enzymes, vitamins, minerals, etc. Is it possible I could boil everything else and let it cool a bit before I stir in the honey?
Yes, you could do that if you’d like!
If I can this do I have to store it in the fridge if it’s unopened?
Hi Jane – this isn’t a canning recipe (canning is not my expertise), so I don’t know if this recipe as-written would work canned.
Would it work to put it on soup setting in the vitamix instead of boiling in a pot?
I don’t have a soup setting on my machine, so I’m not sure? Cooking the mixture helps to soften and break down the fibrous bits in the rhubarb. You could give it a try and let me know how it turns out!
I am diabetic and can’t use honey or sugar. Can I use either stevia liquid or erythritol, which is heat tolerant, to sweeten this to taste?
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I haven’t used those, but you could try it! Also, if your strawberries and apples are on the sweeter side you may not need to add any additional sweetener – so taste after the mixture as cooked and see if you need more sweetness.
We made this with our fresh rhubarb and it is delicious!!!
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Just wondering if you have a rhubarb jelly recipe that doesn’t take pectin?
Hi Fritzie! There is no added pectin in this recipe. You’ll get some natural pectin from the apples, but that’s it.
Can you use defrosted rhubarb? I have a freezer full. Would be a nice way to use some of our up from last year.
Hi Valerie! Defrosted rhubarb should work. You may not need to cook it as long.
I love apple butter and pumpkin butter and I love rhubarb, so I know I’ll love this! One question: could the apples and rhubarb be cooked BEFORE pureeing? I don’t have a Vitamix or a food processor, and my blender isn’t strong enough to puree non-liquids.
Hi Robynne! Yes, you could certainly cook first and then puree – you might want to cook it down again a little after pureeing if you want a thicker consistency.
Do you think the honey could be added after cooking the other ingredients since it’s better not to cook honey?
Yes, you could try that!
Do you peel the apples?
Nope!
Have you made this without the cinnamon?
You could leave the cinnamon out if you don’t have it, don’t like it, or are intolerant/allergic.