Strawberry Rhubarb Compote Recipe

Glass of rhubarb strawberry compote
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Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Canning Time: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 32 to 48 servings
Yield: 2 to 3 half pints

There's a reason strawberry and rhubarb are so commonly paired together. For starters, they both come into season at the same time, making them the classic taste of spring and early summer. Rhubarb's zingy tang is the perfect complement to the fragrant sweetness of plump, ripe strawberries.

Rhubarb is most commonly treated like a sour "fruit" and sweetened in dishes like this compote as well as pies, but it is, in fact, the leafstalks of a vegetable. The green parts of the leaves are toxic, which is why you never see rhubarb stalks for sale with the leaves attached. When ripe, the stalks blush pink, though they are edible when green as well, with the same flavor. 

The compote is sort of like a lazy jam. Just cook the rhubarb and strawberries with some sugar just until they break down, making a soft, spoonable spread. It's fabulous over ice cream, pound cake, or even with some fresh strawberries and whipped cream. 

This recipe can be easily doubled.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb stalks

  • 2 cups strawberries, washed and hulled

  • 3/4 to 1 1/4 cups sugar, see note in instructions

Steps to Make It

  1. Wash and hull the strawberries, then slice them in half, or in quarters if they are large.

  2. Chop the rhubarb stalks. In the end, you're looking for 2 cups each of chopped strawberries and rhubarb. 

  3. In a medium pot, combine the strawberries and rhubarb over low heat. Add 3/4 cup sugar. Stir constantly until all of the sugar is dissolved.

  4. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb pieces start to fall apart. When the compote is about as thick as applesauce, turn off the heat.

  5. Taste, and add additional sugar if you desire more sweetness. Keep a light hand with the sugar, though; too much sweetness will bludgeon rhubarb's distinctive flavor. If you do add additional sugar, turn the heat back on to low and stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.

  6. Fill clean canning jars with the strawberry-rhubarb compote, leaving half an inch of headspace. It is not necessary to sterilize the jars for this recipe.

  7. Tap the bottom of each jar gently but firmly on the palm of your hand to settle the compote and release any air bubbles, or run a clean spatula or chopstick around the interior periphery of the jar to release any trapped air.

  8. Screw on canning lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. (Adjust the time if you are canning at high altitude.)

Recipe Variations

  • Use honey instead of sugar. Choose a mild, lightly colored honey such as orange blossom or clover. Use 1/3 less honey than the sugar called for in the recipe.
  • Add fresh or crystallized ginger. Ginger pairs wonderfully with rhubarb. Add 1-2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized (candied) ginger to the recipe.
  • Turn the compote into strawberry rhubarb sorbet. Chill the compote in the refrigerator overnight (8 - 12 hours), or as long as 24 hours. Process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
20 Calories
0g Fat
5g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32 to 48
Amount per serving
Calories 20
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 5mg 27%
Calcium 13mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 52mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)