Spring Conserve

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This week #SundaySupper is celebrating summer by Saving Summer in any way we can!  This means canning, freezing, dehydrating, or any other way we can save summer’s bounty.

I love rhubarb.   A few weeks ago a new teacher at work asked if anyone wanted any rhubarb because her garden was overflowing with it.   I immediately raised my hand and said I’d take some.  She asked how much I wanted and I said enough to can.   The next day she brought me in a huge bag with 3 pounds of rhubarb!   I was so excited and couldn’t wait to get canning it.

Spring Conserve with strawberries, rhubarb, raisins, and nuts

Now I wasn’t really sure what I was going to can except for strawberry rhubarb jam.   That is a classic and something my entire family enjoys so I try to make it every year.   After searching my Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving I found apple rhubarb chutney as well as spring conserve.

Spring Conserve sounded amazing.  It has strawberries, rhubarb, pineapple, raisins, and nuts in it.   This was the first thing I canned with my rhubarb.  It has a chunky consistency and is bursting with flavor.   It also looks really pretty with the different colored fruits studded with raisins and nuts.Delicious Spring Conserve is filled with strawberries, raisins, rhubarb, and nuts

So the question is, what do you do with conserve?   There are tons of things you can use it for but my favorites are using it as a spread on toast, pouring it over top of cream cheese and eating it on crackers, or using it as a condiment with meats and cheeses.

Spring Conserve

Yield: 7 half pints
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 c. crushed pineapple, including juice
  • 1 1/2 c. crushed hulled strawberries
  • 1 1/2 c. chopped rhubarb
  • 1/2 c. raisins
  • 2 Tablespoons bottled lemon juice
  • 1 package (1.75 oz) regular powdered fruit pectin
  • 6 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. chopped pecans or almonds

Instructions

  1. Prepare a boiling water canner, half pint jars, and lids.
  2. In a large saucepan combine pineapple, strawberries, rhubarb, raisins, and lemon juice. Whisk in the pectin until it has dissolved. Bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.
  3. Add the sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the nuts.
  4. Ladle hot conserve into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe the rims of the jars and center on the lid. Screw on the screwband to fingertip tight.
  5. Place the jars in the canner, making sure they are completely covered. Place the lid on the canner and process for 15 minutes. Remove the canner from the heat and remove lid. Wait 5 minutes then remove jars.
  6. Cool for 24 hours then check the seals. Store in a cool place for 1 year.

Notes

Source: Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving

A Spring conserve filled with fruits and nuts


25 Comments

  1. what an interesting combination!! My hubs loves rhubarb and I love to make him anything with rhubarb in it, I think this sounds great! thanks for sharing!

  2. This sounds wonderful. I love the previous comment suggesting to use it in yogurt, I bet that would be delicious!

  3. Rhubarb! Rhubarb! Rhubarb!

    As you can tell from the name of my blog, I love rhubarb … and I cannot wait to make this spring conserve … because it sounds absolutely divine!

    Thanks for the great recipe!

    1. Thanks! I can’t even buy rhubarb at the stores around here. They just don’t have it (we live VERY rural). So when she said she had extra I was stoked!

  4. I don’t blame you for jumping at the chance at some home grown rhubarb. Love what you did with it too – all the flavors sound like they could complement each other well.

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