The perfect way to use that fiercely growing rhubarb, make Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce for the Freezer! This quick and easy sauce is sweetened with strawberries and honey, not loaded with unnecessary sugar, and delicious on yogurt parfaits, ice cream, pancakes, spread on toast like jam, or just eaten like applesauce!
- Growing Rhubarb - If you grow rhubarb you know you have more than you'll ever need, and a neighbor will be happy to share some if you don't! It's an abundant spring producer, and this small batch Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce is a great way to put it to good use!
- Honey over Sugar - The main problem with rhubarb is you usually need to add cups of sugar just to make it into something edible! I've solved that dilemma with naturally sweet strawberries and honey. This sauce is sweet but not too sweet and so delicious!
- If you've got Rhubarb, try my Healthier Mixed Berry Rhubarb Crisp!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Super simple, this freezer rhubarb sauce uses up 3 or 4 stalks of rhubarb, which of course could be doubled for a larger batch. It's sweetened with honey but not too sweet, so you can still call it a pretty healthy sauce!
- Rhubarb and Strawberries- The perfect combination and both healthy! Rhubarb is a vegetable rich in antioxidants and often can be a tricky one to find uses for. Both are seasonal in the spring and early summer and the naturally sweet strawberries help balance the very tart rhubarb. This lessens the need for gobs of sugar which usually accompany rhubarb!
- Honey - Lots of rhubarb recipes out there literally add cups of sugar, who wants to eat all that! Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce isn't really a dessert and isn't overly sweetened. It's the perfect balance with not too much honey.
- Orange Juice - Just a little bit of juice is needed to simmer and could be bottled orange juice or squeezed from an orange. You could also substitute a squeeze of fresh lemon juice although this adds to the tart flavors you are trying to overcome.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1 - Wash your produce well under cold water.
Chop your rhubarb and remove the strawberry tops and slice them in half.
Step 2 - In a saucepan, simmer all ingredients over medium low heat for about 20 minutes.
Step 3 - You want it to come to a light bubbling simmer but not boil over. Stir often.
Step 4 - Allow the sauce to cool for 5 minutes. Stir to allow the steam to escape, thickening the sauce.
Step 5 - Add sauce to a blender and puree until it's as smooth as you like it!
Step 6 - Pour into jars, filled only ¾'s full, and refrigerate then freeze.
Helpful Tips
- Don't Waste the Strawberry Tops - Just barely slice the top off the strawberries so you aren't throwing away any of the red flesh.
- Stir! - Stir your sauce a few times while it simmers for the 20 minutes. This will make sure all the strawberries and rhubarb get submerged and cook down. It also helps steam escape which will thicken the sauce.
- Storage - I like to add the sauce to glass jars. Store what you will use in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- How to Freeze in Glass Jars - You can use any type of jars you like to freeze your sauce, they don't need to be canning jars. Make sure to only fill the jars ¾'s full to allow room for expansion. Let the sauce cool slightly before filling your jars, then cool them completely in the fridge first before moving them to the freezer. This helps the jars avoid sudden temperature changes which can crack the glass.
- How to Thaw - Simply thaw a jar of Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Sauce overnight in the fridge. You could also leave it on the counter for a few hours, but never run a frozen jar under hot water, it can crack!
Ways to use Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce
Once you stock a few jars of that spring/summer fresh flavor in your freezer, there are lots of ways to enjoy it!
- Yogurt Parfaits - Probably my favorite, add a few spoonfuls of sauce to yogurt and top with Homemade Almond Vanilla Granola!
- Ice Cream - A healthy ice cream topping, add berries and chopped nuts and drizzle the sauce over vanilla ice cream! Or make Homemade Mulberry Ice Cream!
- Pancakes - Drizzle your pancakes with the rhubarb sauce and a little maple syrup. You could also leave the sauce unblended more like a fruit compote. Try it on our favorite Protein Pancakes, Buttermilk Pancakes or on Homemade Crepes!
- Spread On Toast Like Jam - The sauce will thicken enough when it's cool that you can smear some on toast like jam! It's delicious on a bagel spread first with cream cheese!
- Smoothies - Add a few spoonfuls to sweeten a smoothie or add a spoonful to lemonade for a hint of strawberry flavor.
- Just eat it like Applesauce! - A perfect balance of sweet and tart, you can just eat the sauce plain like homemade applesauce! I like to add a spoonful of granola for some crunch and I don't mention to the kids that there's rhubarb in there! Or serve it alongside grilled or roasted meats like pork tenderloin!
Recipe FAQs
This sauce is a little bit thinner than the consistency of applesauce. It can be drizzled over yogurt, ice cream or pancakes, or can be spread on English muffins like jam.
This sauce will last in the fridge fresh or after being thawed for about 1 week.
This recipe makes about 3 cups of rhubarb strawberry sauce that will fit into about 6 to 8 small jars.
No, this recipe was written as a freezer sauce and is not safe or been tested for canning.
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Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce for the Freezer
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 3 cups strawberries tops removed and sliced in half
- 3 cups rhubarb chopped (about 3 to 4 stalks)
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup orange juice
Instructions
- Wash your strawberries and rhubarb well under cold water. Slice the tops off the strawberries and slice them in half. Chop the rhubarb.
- Add all ingredients to a saucepan and simmer over medium low heat, about 20 minutes. You want the mixture at a light simmer, bubbling but not boiling over. Stir often.
- Allow to cool 5 minutes while stirring more to allow steam to escape.
- Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Transfer to jars, filling only ¾'s full to allow for expansion. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Cool completely in the fridge and then use or freeze.
Notes
- Strawberries - Use about 1 pound of strawberries, which is about 3.5 to 4 cups when measured whole, and about 3 cups when measured with the tops removed and sliced in half. Take care to just barely slice off the green top without wasting much of the red flesh.
- Orange Juice can be bottled or squeezed from 1 orange.
- Storage - Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze - Fill jars only ¾'s full and cool completely in the fridge before freezing for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge to use.
- Sauce can be warmed or served cold on yogurt, ice cream, pancakes, spread like jam, or just eaten with granola like applesauce!
- Makes 3 cups, and can be frozen in 6 to 8 small jars.
- Nutrition information is for 1 jar, about a half cup.
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