Rhubarb Relish - Traditional Newfoundland
HI and welcome to my website!
I'm so glad you stopped by and I guess you are looking for a recipe for homemade rhubarb relish, look to further.
Can you remember has a child eating so much rhubarb and dipping it in white sugar.
Mmmmm so good!
We grew up with freshly picked rhubarb and a garden full of fresh vegetables, from our Dad and Mom's garden.
Traditional Newfoundland Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam
This is a lovely recipe for Rhubarb and Strawberry Cobbler, check out the link below!
Traditional Newfoundland Rhubarb and Strawberry Cobbler
Rhubarb relish is so easy to make and you can store it in your cupboard for a long time. After you have bottled the relish label and date every bottle for your reference.
In late June and July pick your rhubarb by pulling them from the roots, don't break them off because they will keep growing until the season is done.
I'm going to share our cookbook's link with you.
https://www.bonitaskitchen.com/cookbook
Please continue on to our recipe and more pictures and information on how to make this delicious rhubarb relish.
Ingredients
- Rhubarb - 6 cups chopped, fresh or frozen
- Onions - 6 cups chopped
- White vinegar - 2 cups
- Brown sugar - 2 cups
- Sea salt - 1½ tsp
- Black pepper - 1½ tsp
- Cinnamon - 1½ tsp
- Allspice - 1½ tsp
- Ground cloves - 1½ tsp
- Water - ½ Cup
Instructions
1. Add together in a large boiler, chopped rhubarb, chopped onions, vinegar and water. Start to boil on a medium heat for about twenty minutes, then remove from heat.
2. Add all your spices, seasonings and brown sugar then stir around until all blended together. Place the boiler back on the stove top on a medium heat for about one hour and half, stirring occasionally.
While waiting for your relish you can start sterilizing your jars and lids in a hot water bath.
See method below for sterilizing!
3. When your relish is almost cooked. Remove jars and lids from the water bath, place on a towel to drain.
See method below for canning procedures.
4.Then scoop the rhubarb relish into each jar, you will get about six one cup mason jars full. After you complete filling all jars, clean around rims and cap each one.
Sterilization and Canning Procedures
Method for Sterilization: Sterilizing and Canning Procedures
1. Start by getting a large boiler and filling in about a quarter full of water.
2. Then bring the water to a boil and place your Mason jars inside then cover.
3. After letting the water boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, then remove your jars and place them on paper towels or a cloth on the counter top.
Method for Canning Procedures:
1. After your food items are cooked and ready to bottle, scoop hot liquid or food inside your mason jars.
2. Continue doing this until all jars are complete and leave 1/2 inch from the top.
3. Clean around the top of your jars removing any food from rims.
4. Then place caps and lids on your jars finger tight.
5. Then place your jars back in the hot water bath and start boiling the water for another 5 to 10 minutes with the cover on the boiler.
6. When done, remove from the water bath and leave at room temperature.
7. You can check your lids, 3 ways.
1. Remove the screw cap and lightly run your finger upwards on the lid if it doesn't remove its seal. Put the screw cap back on tight then date and label each jar. Then store in a cool panty or room.
2. If the lid is not popped up when you touch the middle it means it’s sealed.
3. If you heard all your jars pop by counting the pops it is sealed.
You can serve rhubarb relish with so many wonderful dishes, try it on a burger and with your eggs and Bologna in the morning for your breakfast.
Most people don’t even look at their rhubarb in the garden.
What they don’t know is, it got so many wonderful uses. Plus the recipes you can make with it, is out of this world.
This rhubarb relish is so good you will be asking your neighbors to sell you their rhubarb.
When I was a kid I would pick my mom and dad’s rhubarb and not clean it just take the outer peel off and eat it, this was a delicious treat for me. Mmmmmmm
Now! ….. I can’t wait until they are ready to pick so I can make this delicious rhubarb relish and rhubarb and strawberry jam……oh my it is so good.
This is the link to the recipe and video.
Traditional Newfoundland Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam
I can’t get enough of this jam, on my bagels, toast, tea buns and even over my vanilla ice cream.
I hope I’ve convinced you to pick your rhubarb early this year. Don’t wait until the seeds start to grow on the top because by then they are better and no good to pick.
Enjoy this easy and quick recipes for rhubarb relish and rhubarb strawberry jam and leave me a message telling me what you liked about them.
Thanks from our kitchen to yours! Bonita and RMHussey Productions and Team.?
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You are missing the water measurement in the Rhubarb Relish recipe.
Hi and thank you so much for your message and for visiting my website, I’m so sorry for that. I guess that was over looked when the recipe was entered in, I fixed the error and I hope you looked at the video to know how much water to add. This is a lovely recipe and so easy to make, thank you once again for letting me know. 🙂 Have a lovely weekend. Bonita
I’m making my grandmother’s rhubarb relish tomorrow. She was a Bursey (nee Baggs) from Old Perlican/Broad Cove. Your recipe is virtually identical except she taught me to add a cup of raisins.
And I know her secret to the best blueberry pie in the universe….not sharing the secret either.
Great site.
Hi and thank you so much for your lovely message and for stopping by, I’m so glad you found our website and you are going to make our rhubarb relish recipe. I’m sure raisins would tasty lovely in that recipe for sure, its nice to have recipes like this to make you remember childhood memories of our parents and grand parents. I can just taste your grand mothers blueberry pie I’m sure it was the best, I’m going to make a blueberry pie this fall when blueberry season opens again and video the berry ground as well. Have a wonderful day and thank you once again for stopping by. 🙂 Bonita
When making rhubarb relish,can you use frozen rhubarb?Have it got to be completely thawed?
You can use frozen rhubarb or fresh, it may make a little more liquid but it will still taste amazing, thank you for your message and for stopping by. 🙂 Bonita
Hi Bonita. Just sterilizing my jars ,waiting for the relish to finish cooking hmm.it smells so so good. I always like rhubarb relish , jam or pies. Thank you.
Hi there! A taste of home. I’m making it to share with my friends here in New Zealand….I’ve been here 15 years…still miss Canada..
Hi Margaret, Thank you for your message and for stopping by, I’m so glad you enjoyed our rhubarb relish recipe and thank you for sharing where you are messaging from. This is a tasty and easy recipe and a little taste of home for sure. Enjoy and have a wonderful summer. 🙂 Bonita
My Mom’s very old recipe is :
1 quart rhubarb cut small
1 quart chopped onion
1 pint vinegar ( 2 cups )
2 lbs brown sugar ( 4.12 cups )
1 t cinnamon
1t allspice
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t pepper
2 t salt
Mix and simmer 2 hours until it thickens.
Just sharing. Going to make your recipe too.
Thankyou.
Hi Leah: Thank you for stopping by and sharing your mom’s recipe with us. So many tasty relish recipes out there and you could never have to many. Have a lovely day…
Bonita
First time to your site. Will mark it because you have so many good receipies. Love local cookbooks and this one is great. Dave
Hi Dave: Thank you for your message and I’m so sorry I just noticed your message, we are so glad you are enjoying our website and so glad you found us. We have been working on Bonita’s Kitchen now for 5 years and enjoying every moment of it. We have a lot of recipes you can print, make or just enjoy reading and watching our videos. Have a wonderful day….Bonita
A little mixed up as to boiling time after you put the spices in the pot. According to the video I assumed it was 1/2 hour. But the printed recipe indicates 1 1/2 hours. Am I missing something in the video?
Hi Jean: Thank you for your message and for visiting our channel, the video had a glitch in the part between the spices and the half way point. The amount of time is 1 1/2 hours, boiling when the spices are in. I hope this clears up any misunderstanding this may have cost. We also posted a video today for Rhubarb and Apricot Jam if you wish to check it out. Enjoy Bonita
Had a buddy at work give me a small batch jar of his own Rhubarb Relish. He is originally from Newfoundland.
Opened the jar last eve to accompany dinner (Salmon fillet, lightly seared with olive oil and herbs, sweated down Swiss Chard, roasted potatoes) and it did not last, jar emptied. Thank god for Google and recipe research!
Hi Brett: That is wonderful, what a lovely story. I’m so glad to help, this is a old recipe and it goes well with so many meals. Not a lot of steps and we have a video here to help you through it as well, plus our recipe. Thank you so much for stopping by and enjoy our recipe to the fullest. 🙂 Bonita
Just want to thank you so much for this relish recipe! My mom used your recipe and it blew me away so I’m going to try making it myself once rhubarb is in season.
Oh my that is wonderful and I’m so glad you enjoyed our recipe, thank your mom for me for telling you about our channel. Enjoy to the fullest and message any time. Bonita
What would be cooking time if cooked in an instant pot????
Hi Don: Sorry I just seen your message, I don’t use a instant pot but they cook very quick. So I would say compare it to making jam, if you made that before in your instant pot. I know a full jigs dinner takes only 15 minutes and thats a two hour process if cooked on the stove top. I hope this helps and enjoy 🙂 Bonita
Hi, just wondering at what point you add the brown sugar? Is it considered a seasoning or spice? It isn’t mentioned in the instructions. Thank you!
Hi Carolyn, Sorry about the late reply, brown sugar gets adding after the first boil with the spices and seasonings. I’m not sure if you watched our video it gives you detailed steps to how its made. But I did make that adjustment to our recipe to indicate when the sugar gets added. Enjoy to the fullest and thank you for pointing that out and have a lovely day. 🙂 Bonita
My apologies, no I didn’t watch the video. I don’t tend to watch recipe videos, I always just read the recipe. But I guess it would have been more helpful to me if I did! Thank you for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it. You have a lovely day too.
Thats ok sound times its nice to have the recipe available to follow and even print for your cookbook, but my videos are vary detailed and offer tips and suggestions that extra from the recipe. Have a lovely day and thank you for stopping by. 🙂 Bonita
My dad was from Bell Island and I got the recipe from his mom, but I lost it. This looks the same, or if not very close. I am so glad I found it. I make gift baskets for Christmas, and can’t wait to make this to add to my baskets this year.
Hi Cathy: Thank you for your message and for stopping by, I’m so glad you found our channel and recipes. This is a tasty recipe for rhubarb relish and one my mom would make when we were kids. So wonderful you make Christmas gift baskets, we have so many recipes here that would go great in a gift basket. Enjoy and have a lovely day. 🙂 Bonita
Hi, I’ve been making this recipe for years, but as our boys got older and moved out, I haven’t made it for a few years, just this morning my husband cut some rhubarb and had fresh rhubarb jam with his breakfast. I then went looking for my rhubarb relish recipe only to figure out I’ve miss placed it somewhere, I’m so glad that I found it on your website. My husband loves it with everything,, but with both of us being paramedics and not really having the time to make it, I am looking forward to getting back into bottling jams, jellies and relish. Thank you for the recipe, I’m sure my husband will enjoy it to the fullest.
Hi Tracy: Thank you so much for your beautiful message and for finding our channel, its so easy to miss place our recipes. I’m glad we are here to help, we have a few recipes on here for rhubarb and jams, cobblers, upside down rhubarb cake, of course the relish. Thank you for stopping by and enjoy our recipes to the fullest and message anytime. 🙂 Bonita
I made the rhubarb relish and it couldn’t be better! Thank you for this great recipe.
Hi Helen: Thank you for stopping by and I’m so glad you made our recipe, it is so wonderful to use up those rhubarbs in your garden and enjoy them when you can’t get them. Have a wonderful day. 🙂 Bonita
Hi Bonita,
Can I use frozen rhubarb? Thanks.
Hi Deborah: Yes you can use frozen rhubarb if you wish, just let them thaw first and remote that water and continue to the recipe. Enjoy Bonita
Turned out perfect. And such a wonderful aroma in the house on this cool fall morning.
That is wonderful Deborah, I’m so glad you made the rhubarb relish recipe, the smell is amazing for sure. You can have this with so many meals and it tastes amazing. Enjoy Bonita
Hi
Your recipe is much the same as my grandmother’s. I was wondering if during the boiling process do you cover the pot or not .
HI George: Thank you for your message and for stopping by, while cooking keep the cover on but left it a little letting the steam to release and stir occasionally to bend all together white cooking. Enjoy 🙂 Bonita
Great recipe! I made a big batch of this today with rhubarb used to make Rhubarb Shrub. Double duty on the rhubarb because I made quarts and quarts of shrub and then used same rhubarb to make this recipe. Excellent!!!!
Hi Cathy: Thank you for letting me know I’m so glad you made our rhubarb relish recipe, it is so lovely to have fresh rhubarb to make this tasty recipes. We have lots of rhubarb recipe here so don’t leave no rhubarb in the ground this year, plus freeze some for the winter to make tasty muffins and breads. Stay safe and thank you 🙂 Bonita
I made this last night and like it. I would add a bit more sugar to it as I like a sweet relish. I spooned it onto cheesy herb biscuits. Tks for sharing your recipes.
Hi Christa: Thank you for stopping by and for making our recipe, this is a lovely recipe and easy to make. During the cooking process you can always taste the mixture and add more sugar or spices if you wish. Thank you once again and message anytime. 🙂 Bonita
I tried your recipe for rhubarb relish last year and it was amazing….unfortunately, I only had enough rhubarb for 6 pint jars…didn’t last very long…..just wondering, can you make the rhubarb relish with frozen rhubarb or with some fresh and some frozen…….
hI karen: Thank you for your message and for stopping by, so glad you made and enjoyed our recipe for rhubarb relish. Yes you can make this recipe with fresh or frozen, if you use them together the fresh and frozen maybe cook the fresh a little first, then add the frozen because its already very soft when thawed. Enjoy to the fullest 🙂 Bonita
Hi Bonita. A friend happened to mention in an email that her ex’s grandmother made a rhubarb relish and…. 2 minutes later here I am. Your recipe looks great – I’ll be making this for sure. Your notes at the start of the post made me think of childhood days and what a pain I must have been to my wonderful grandmother, always begging for a child-size palmful of sugar to dunk my rhubarb into, or a piece of bacon to bait a hook to catch catfish (I’m from Ontario). What a patient woman and what wonderful summer memories. For me, I think your relish will be “summer in a jar”.
Oh my how wonderful, I’m so glad to bring you back to your childhood days. This rhubarb relish is so tasty and you can serve it with almost anything you are having. I always say rhubarb is the forgotten fruit and it make so many lovely dessert, jams and meals. Stay safe Ann and enjoy our recipes to the fullest. 🙂 Bonita
Making this recipe now. I’m finding it a bit loose. But in saying that I double doubled this recipe..Lol! Would it be ok to drain a little liquid off?.
The house smells wonderful on this dull evening.
Hi Lisa, So sorry I just got your message and I hope it all worked out for you. It would have been ok to drain some of the liquid off but keep it. But when it seals and cools it would be a little less liquid, I hope it all worked out. Thank you for choosing our recipe and enjoy to the fullest. 🙂 Bonita
Rhubarb recipes are a dime a dozen, and yours is up there with them all. My question to you is this, why do you commit the cardinal sin of placing your pot lids on the counter etc, hot side down, thats a nono .
Ive posted this before.
Hi Calvin, Thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving a message, we have many delicious recipes for rhubarb the forgotten fruit. Rhubarb strawberry jam, rhubarb apricot jam, rhubarb bread, upside down rhubarb cake, and more. But to answer your question about the mason jar lids, the jars and lids was boiled and placed on a CLEAN towel to dry.
There is no Cardinal sin to this you need to know that making these tasty meals for yourself not for COMMERCIAL SALE, it will be ok. I’m sorry you have a problem with this but I’ve been making jams and relishes for over 40 years and haven’t spoiled or made anyone sick with my food. But haven’t said that I understand keeping the lids clean and properly sterilized and free of food, is very important.
Thank you once again for stopping by and for being concerned about proper cleaning and drying of the lids.
Stay safe
Bonita 🙂
Hi Bonita:
Your recipe for rhubarb relish is delicious. It is so simple and takes no time to make. I love the smell in the kitchen. I also love all of your videos. I’m a Newfoundlander and I love the old recipes. Your website is the only one I go to when I want to find a Newfoundland recipe. Keep up the good work. You make every recipe seem so easy.
Hi Olive: Thank you for your lovely and kind message and for making our recipe for rhubarb relish, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. We so appreciate your support and for taking the time to let us know you are enjoying our videos.
Stay safe!
Best Regards;
Bonita
Girl! Proof read your recipe before posting! So many errors in instructions. #2 should read preparing, not peppering. #4 should say filling not fulling and #5 should be cooled, not cold. Not sure who edits your recipes, check, check, check. Thanks, Miss NFLD
Hi Miss NFLD, Thank you for stopping by and for letting me know about my errors. I know some is really bad and I’ve been getting to them one at a time. Hopefully we will get more time to back around to double check them all. We do thank you and I hope you get to make our recipe when you get some rhubarb. 🙂 Have a wonderful day and God Bless You…..:) Bonita
Hi Bonita, I should start by saying that I love your page! I am making this recipe soon. My son always loves this (as we all do) with ham or any pork dish. I am going to make it for Christmas and give some away. My mother in law made this, but her batch makes like 20 jars! I love yours as it is a small enough batch to manage. Thanks again and keep up the good work! Miss NFLD
Hi .. thanks for posting these rhubarb recipes! I was wondering if you ever heard of rhubarb being used instead of tomatoes for a green tomato chow chow? My cousin had given me his recipe and now that I have my own rhubarb, I can’t seem to find it! thanks
Hi Eveline, Thank you for your message and for stopping by. I haven’t heard of it but that don’t mean it haven’t been done. Rhubarb when cooked falls apart and it’s like this recipe for rhubarb relish. Chow chow is a little more full and the texture is different. But if you can remember the recipe or get one let me know and I will be more then happy to make it and share the video. We have a lot of recipe using rhubarb if you wish to check them out. 🙂 Enjoy Bonita
I visited Rocky Harbour last year and was amazed by the people and the food. I had a sandwich with rhubarb relish, and your recipe nailed it!
Thank you for providing the recipe and video to help someone a little green to canning.
Hi Anthony. Thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving a message letting us know. How wonderful you got to taste rhubarb relish before and I’m sure when you make this it will bring you back to that sandwich you had in Rocky Harbour. 🙂 Bonita
It would be beneficial for those cooks new to using rhubarb recipes to be told not to use aluminum pots or pans as the acid in the rhubarb will react with the aluminum with nasty results. However, to clean stained aluminum put rhubarb into some water and boil away…pots & pans will come out shiny!
I assumed the brown sugar was to be a “packed” 2 cups but that info also might be helpful for new cooks to know.
I’m in the Okanagan Valley of BC and have a pot of your rhubarb relish recipe on the stove right now. It’s so easy and is exactly the one I was looking for after having been given jars of this wonderful relish by a visiting Saskatchewan friend. It’s smells wonderful in the house. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Susan, Thank you for your message and for stopping by…I’m so glad you enjoyed our rhubarb relish recipe. It goes so good with so many meals. Thank you for sharing the info about aluminum pots and pans. Years ago our elders pretty much only owned that type of cookware, I didn’t share that info about the brown sugar because it don’t matter. If you like it more sweet pack it down or just a loose scoop. Anyway you make it, it will still taste good.
Have a wonderful weekend…
Thank you
Bonita
I made this but it needed a lot more sugar. I probably used close to 4 cups, if not more. Also it took much longer than 1.5 hours to get to the right consistency and to lose the raw onion taste. Watch out if you’re cooking it on medium heat because it does scorch at the bottom.
Hi Jennie, Thank you for your message and for stopping by, I’m glad you made our recipe and thank you for letting us know. The amount of sugar varies to your taste, of course and some people likes it a little less sugar. Another tip on the onions you can chop them smaller to cook faster, also a boiler with a thick bottom would help from burning the bottom of your boiler, plus stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking from the bottom of your boiler.
Keeping it on a medium to low temp as well.
I hope it all worked out for you and it taste good after you adjusted the sugar.
Have a lovely day!! Thanks Bonita