Rhubarb Applesauce
Rhubarb applesauce is a flavorful, sweet-tart addition to your dinner plate that adds a gorgeous splash of color.
If you’re new to rhubarb, I highly recommend diving into new, unchartered recipe waters by making this rhubarb applesauce!
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Not only is it a super simple recipe, the results are deliciously foolproof!
Rhubarb applesauce is a wonderful side dish for main dishes such as pork schnitzel, or breaded chicken tenders.
It makes a great addition to packed lunches with a ham sandwich, for example, or an afternoon snack for the kids (or adults!) Rhubarb applesauce is a great way to use less than stellar apples or rhubarb, as well.
You may even have spotted my rhubarb applesauce on my pan fried asparagus recipe, recently.
What Makes Applesauce Taste Better?
If you’ve ever been disappointed with apples you’ve bought from the store, then been doubly disheartened when you tried to reinvent them into applesauce with the same lackluster flavor, rhubarb can make applesauce taste better!
Rhubarb, while usually considered as a fruit, is actually a vegetable! As someone who grew up in Scotland eating it raw, I cannot describe how much I adore the flavor of rhubarb.
It’s tangy, and sour, yet has a unique flavor that is difficult to describe. I have no less than twenty rhubarb recipes on my site here! While it’s in season during spring and summer in the Northern Hemisphere, Melissa’s Produce is able to source rhubarb most of the year. Just look at these gorgeous, pink stalks!
So let’s get back to this easy and tasty rhubarb applesauce recipe, or rhubarb and apple sauce, however you want to name it. Whatever you call it, you’ll want to make it often.
Can I Freeze Rhubarb Applesauce?
Rhubarb applesauce freezes beautifully! Make a big batch and freeze in glass containers for the best (healthiest) option. Let me know if you make it and what you think in the comments below.
Rhubarb Applesauce
recipe by Christina Conte serves 4
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- apples
- rhubarb
- sugar
- (optional – lemon juice)
TIP: measurements don’t really matter for this apple and rhubarb sauce recipe, as they are not critical, however, the only way to make the sauce is a 50/50 mix of apples and rhubarb is to use a kitchen scale. I highly recommend the use of a kitchen scale, always.
Directions
Peel, core and cut the apple into pieces and place into a pot.
Add the sugar, and a splash of water, or squeeze of lemon juice so the apples don’t stick.
Add the rhubarb, cover and cook, stirring from time to time, for about 6 or 7 minutes until the apples soften (the rhubarb will soften first.)
When the apples are soft, remove from the heat.
While you can leave the apples and rhubarb chunky, I recommend using an immersion blender or food processor to purée the mixture. Taste for sweetness and add sugar, as needed.
If you accidentally made it too sweet, you can add more lemon juice. Lo and behold, you have rhubarb applesauce!
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Rhubarb Applesauce
Ingredients
- 2 apples medium, organic (I like Granny smith, but most apples will work)
- 2 stalks rhubarb medium sized, chopped (fresh, crisp stalks, if possible)
- ⅓ c sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice optional (use water instead, if not using lemon juice)
Instructions
- Peel, core and cut the apple into pieces and place into a pot.
- Add the sugar, and a splash of water, or squeeze of lemon juice so the apples don't stick.
- Add the chopped rhubarb, cover and cook, stirring from time to time, for about 6 or 7 minutes until the apples soften (the rhubarb will soften first.) When the apples are soft, remove from the heat.
- While you can leave the apples and rhubarb chunky, I recommend using an immersion blender or food processor to purée the mixture. Taste for sweetness and add sugar, as needed.
Notes
- Use immediately, refrigerate or freeze.
Nutrition
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I make both Applesauce and Rhubarb sauce but never thought of putting them together. My cousin brought me a huge bunch of Rhubarb and I think this will be a good recipe to use some of it. Thank you for posting it. I would love to win the Moka Coffee pot.
What a wonderful combination! Everybody always combined strawberries and rhubarb, which is not my favorite, but apple and rhubarb? Sounds fantastic.
Delightful, David! Thank you!
This rhubarb apple sauce is wonderful. My rhubarb isn’t very red so I didn’t get the beautiful color but thr flavor made up for that!
The color definitely varies, but like you said, it’s the flavor that makes up for it! Thanks, Mary Kay!
When do you add the rhubarb? Thanks
Sorry Carol, I just added it to the directions (it all goes into the pot together.)
I remember growing up in New Jersey, my dad grew rhubarb, rhubarb with a bag of sugar, this was our sour patch!
Great memories, Susan!