Pickled Rhubarb
Recipe courtesy of: Kate Lebo, The Book of Difficult Fruit
Native to China and Russia, Lebo says, rhubarb has become a favorite among many in Missouri. Read her vivid writing to find out what makes it one of the 26 difficult fruits of the book. In the meantime, make her pickled rhubarb recipe and have yourself a tasty argument for the tart, tender and unruly.
Pickled Rhubarb
Yield: 16 ounces
Rhubarb stalks are too delicate to withstand the heat of processing for shelf-stable storage, so this is a refrigerator pickle. Use fresh rhubarb, preferably the thin, intense stalks of a struggling plant.
Ingredients:
1 cup champagne vinegar
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
10 ounces fresh rhubarb (1-1/2 to 2 cups, sliced according to instructions below)
4 garlic cloves
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon pink peppercorns
Instructions:
Wash and dry four 4-ounce glass jars and their lids. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, stir to dissolve the sugar, then set aside.
Cut off and discard the ends of the rhubarb, then slice the stalk into ¼-in slices. If the rhubarb is very thick, cut the stalk in half lengthwise before making the ¼-inch slices.
In each glass jar, place one garlic clove and top off with rhubarb slices. Distribute the spices between the jars.
Pour the brine over the rhubarb, leaving a ¼-inch headspace. Cover with lids and refrigerate. It keeps for months but is best in the first month, and good almost immediately—wait just twenty-four hours before serving.