This is a sweet summer bbq sauce, perfect for many different uses. This rhubarb cherry bbq sauce has sweet and tangy notes, and is great for any grilling, marinading, or other summer cooking. It even goes well on grilled vegetables.
Take advantage of summer’s fruit abundance and use dark sweet cherries for this cherry barbecue sauce recipe. Add in garden fresh rhubarb for that tangy zip, and spice it up with a few local hot peppers or some dried cayenne pepper if desired. This homemade bbq sauce is quick to whip up, and great for canning or freezing to keep the taste of summer fresh. Canning your own BBQ sauce is a great way to save and share summer’s flavors and abundance. BBQ sauce is a great addition to gift baskets, as a hostest gift, or even as part of a wellness basket.
This mildly spicy barbeque sauce gets its zesty tang from garden fresh rhubarb and cherries. The addition of sun dried tomatoes fills out the flavor profile. It’s a versatile bbq sauce recipe, and is easy enough to make or adapt to fit the taste profile you prefer.
This BBQ sauce works great on beef ribs, pork, hamburgers, and even works alongside smoked meat. The instructions are simple, and easy to follow as long as you have fresh cherries for this cherry bbq sauce recipe.
Unlike some BBQ sauce recipes, we don’t add commercial sauces. There’s sundried tomatoes and sugar added, instead of commercial ketchup. There is no mustard or molasses, though you could substitute molasses instead of the sugar. Try making the recipe as written, then add additional ingredients like worcestershire sauce, or liquid smoke, to fill out the flavor profile if needed. You can always tweak the recipe to fit your preferences and taste.
Rhubarb Cherry BBQ Sauce for Canning or Freezing
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 5 pints 1x
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Canning
Description
This mildly spicy barbeque sauce gets its zesty tang from garden fresh rhubarb and cherries. The addition of sun dried tomatoes fills out the flavor profile.
Ingredients
- 8 cups rhubarb, sliced
- 4 cups cherries, pitted
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- Medium onion, peeled and diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, diced, seeded
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar, organic or brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Add rhubarb, cherries, and sundried tomatoes to a large saucepan. Stir to combine. Add garlic cloves, onion, peppers, and cider vinegar.
- Cook over medium heat until mixture is bubbling, and rhubarb begins to break apart. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
- Cook until mixture begins to thicken. Stir in sugar, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the contents of the pan until mixture is smooth and thick. Alternatively transfer the mixture to a heat proof blender jar. Blend on high for 30 seconds to make a smooth sauce.
To freeze:
Spoon into 2 cup (500 ml) freezer containers, leaving 2 inch headspace. Cool to room temperature. Freeze. Will keep for 6 months to one year in freezer.
To pressure can:
Spoon into pint canning jars. Complete seal. Process pints in a pressure canner for 20 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.
To Use:
Brush generously on chicken, fish, or beef before oven cooking. OR brush over meat midway through grilling to seal in meat juices and prevent drying out.
Notes
Frozen rhubarb and frozen cherries may be used for this recipe, so you can make it year round. You can use either sweet cherries or pie cherries in this recipe, so use what you have.
Ingredients:
- 8 cups rhubarb, sliced
- 4 cups cherries, pitted
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- Medium onion, peeled and diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, diced, seeded
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar, organic or brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Directions:
- Add rhubarb, cherries, and sundried tomatoes to a large saucepan. Stir to combine. Add garlic cloves, onion, peppers, and cider vinegar.
- Cook over medium heat until mixture is bubbling, and rhubarb begins to break apart. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
- Cook until mixture begins to thicken. Stir in remaining ingredients, the sugar, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. You can use sea salt, kosher salt, or Himalayan salt.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the contents of the pan until mixture is smooth and thick. Alternatively transfer the mixture to a heat proof blender jar. Blend on high for 30 seconds to puree and make a smooth sauce.
To freeze:
Spoon the rhubarb and cherry bbq sauce into 2 cup (500 ml) freezer containers, leaving 2 inch headspace. Cool to room temperature. Freeze. Will keep for 6 months to one year in freezer. Can also be frozen flat in freezer bags. Make sure to label and date no matter the storage container.
To pressure can:
Spoon into pint canning jars. Add rings and prepared lids. Complete seal. Process pints in a pressure canner for 20 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. Remember to label and date your canning jar lids as well. Pressure canning can be safely stored for a minimum of 18 months, and the seal will often remain true for longer.
If you’re newer to canning, follow these ten tips for successful pressure canning. So you can feel confident in your summer canning efforts.
To Use:
Brush generously on chicken, fish, or beef before oven cooking. OR brush over meat midway through grilling to seal in meat juices and prevent drying out.
If using on steak, add some butter to the steak before adding the cherry BBQ sauce, it’ll help seal in the meat juice and keep the steak tender and moist.
Back to You:
Summer is canning season, and there’s always lots of fruits and veggies to preserve. Juice is a cool option for canning, like this elderberry juice recipe. If you’re fruit trees or bushes have a fruitful year, followed by a lean year, canning juice or whole fruits is a great way to prolong the abundance, and enjoyment.
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