This time: a spicy rhubarb chutney! Not too fiery, just enough of a kick—and amazing paired with a slice of aged cheese.
Ingredients for Rhubarb Chutney
The ingredients needed for this rhubarb chutney are pretty simple. You will need the following:
- Rhubarb - try and pick fresh ones with that beautiful pink color for the most attractive ánd tastiest results
- spices - I used ginger, cinnamon, cloves and star anise
- light brown sugar - you will need a bit of sweetness to counter balance the tartness of the rhubarb
Rhubarb Chutney
Let’s start with a quick note on the difference between chutney and jam—because it’s not as obvious as you’d think. Generally, I go for chutney when I want something savory, while jam is your classic sweet spread.
But... take my tomato chutney, for instance. It’s not super savory. Still, you wouldn’t exactly smear it on toast, right? Chutneys usually involve ingredients like onion, garlic, ginger, and chili—stuff you probably wouldn’t find in your average jam.
So the biggest difference between the two is the use of the ingredients.
What Do You Use Chutney For?
Chutney is a flavor bomb. It’s fantastic on a cheeseboard, and also works great as a dip. This rhubarb chutney leans tangy and spicy—yes, there’s some sugar, but it’s definitely not a sweet spread.
I also love chutney with cream cheese. Super easy to turn into a quick dip, like this tomato version I made earlier.
Let’s Make Rhubarb Chutney!
All you need (besides the ingredients) is a saucepan. Start by prepping your rhubarb and chopping the rest of the goodies.
Heat a splash of oil in the pan, then gently cook the ginger, chili, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves over low heat. Pro tip: bundle your cinnamon, star anise, and cloves in a spice bag or even a tea infuser. Saves you from fishing around later!
(You can let the cinnamon stick float around—easy to spot and scoop out.)
Time to Thicken Things Up
Rhubarb = lots of liquid. You can simmer it longer to reduce, or use a little arrowroot to help it thicken up.
Just mix a tablespoon of arrowroot with a bit of the chutney liquid in a small bowl, stir until smooth, and add it back into the hot pan.
Spicy Rhubarb Chutney
Ingredients
- 500 g about 1.1 lbs rhubarb, chopped, tough strings removed
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 3 cm fresh ginger 1 inch piece, minced or grated
- ½ to 1 red chili finely chopped (depending on your spice level!)
- 100 ml apple cider vinegar
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 2 whole cloves
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the shallot, ginger, chili, sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. Warm gently over low heat.
- Add the apple cider vinegar and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the chopped rhubarb. Lower the heat and let it cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb softens—about 20 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning or sweetness if needed.
- Store in sterilized jars. Keep refrigerated after opening.
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