Rhubarb Compote

Rhubarb has a short season so buy a bunch while you can.

After you make the perfect Rhubarb Pie you can chop and freeze the stalks, or you can cook them into this lovely compote.

Making compote is a quick and easy way to preserve rhubarb that doesn’t involve canning, pectin or any complicated procedures.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Rhubarb – I recommend using fresh rhubarb to make compote. You can use frozen rhubarb but the rhubarb will break down more as it’s cooked.
• Sugar – Rhubarb is quite tart and needs sugar to balance the flavor and to preserve it. If you like your rhubarb extra tangy, start with 6 oz of sugar and adjust to your taste.
• Salt – A pinch of salt helps balance the flavor of the compote.
• Other flavors – I don’t add any other flavors because I want to taste pure rhubarb. But you can add orange zest, ground ginger, cinnamon or vanilla extract, as they are all complementary flavors.

• Add the sugar and salt to the chopped rhubarb.
• Toss the mixture together and set it aside to macerate for 1 hour.
• Every 15 minutes stir the rhubarb.
• After 1 hour the rhubarb should have released some juice.

• Cook the rhubarb over medium-low heat until the sugar melts and forms a syrup with the rhubarb juice.
• Increase the heat to medium. The rhubarb will continue to release more juice.
• Simmer the rhubarb for about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Cook until the rhubarb is tender but the chunks are mostly intact. If you continue to cook the compote the rhubarb will break down and become more of a sauce/puree. If that’s what you’re after, cook it a little longer.

• Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the compote to a heat proof container.
• The recipe yields about 2 cups of compote. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate until serving.

How to make Rhubarb Fool

A “fool” is a traditional British dessert made by simply folding fruit preserves into a creamy base.

To make Rhubarb Fool whip 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Fold 2 cups of Rhubarb Compote into the whipped cream. Leave the mixture slightly under-folded so there are discernible streaks of compote in the cream base. This will make 6-8 servings.

Ways to serve Rhubarb Compote

• Layer it with Custard or drizzle it with Creme Anglaise.
• A dollop of Rhubarb Compote is a nice topping for yogurt or ice cream.
• Serve it with pound cake or sponge cake.
• Enjoy Rhubarb Compote with clotted cream on top of an English Scone.
• Mix it into a cocktail for a jolt of bright flavor.

Storage

Rhubarb Compote will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks and can be frozen for 2-3 months. After freezing the compote will be less chunky.