When it comes to rhubarb, either you will like it or you won’t like it. There is nothing in between because rhubarb is that kind of fruit. Rhubarb is quite tart and tangy in taste. There is one major thing that concerns rhubarb lovers. That is storage, can you freeze stewed rhubarb? If yes then how to freeze them?
This situation generally occurs when you have left out stewed rhubarb, which you weren’t able to finish. In some cases, you might have made stewed rhubarb for more than a couple of friends and they didn’t show up.
Well before that, you must be thinking why stewed rhubarb? This is so because; stewing rhubarb is an amazing way of preparing this fruit. You can never have enough of it.
When Does Rhubarb Season Occur?
In the United Kingdom, you will find the rhubarb season for almost an entire year.
- In January itself you will find the light pink color rhubarb, which is generally tender. (They are grown inside the house in the dark).
- Until the time April begins, you will have a new rhubarb in the market. That is coarser and darker in color. (This is cultivated outdoors).
- Generally, the rhubarb season comes to an end, when July strikes. Yet rhubarb is available until post-July, depending upon the weather and climate.
Why Do You Need To Freeze Rhubarb?
Freezing stewed rhubarb offers you numerous amount of advantages:
- You can enjoy rhubarb all year long.
- It doesn’t allow your rhubarb to be wasted.
- If you are a rhubarb lover and you found it on a sale, you can easily buy rhubarb and freeze them for later use. etc.
You must be thinking if it is the case then it can be done. Right!
Can You Freeze Stewed Rhubarb?
Now let’s address the biggest question on your mind related to stewed rhubarb. So, the answer is YES! You can freeze stewed rhubarb. They can freeze for almost an entire year. But, the catch is that you have to make sure that you bag it up in portions and do not allow any type of freezer burn.
Now you must be thinking, that if you can freeze stewed rhubarb. So, can you refreeze stewed rhubarb? Well, this time the answer is no. That is mostly because refreezing rhubarb will make you lose the entire texture along with its taste and there are very high chances of freezer burn.
How To Freeze Stewed Rhubarb?
Now you must be like, did you have told that you can freeze stewed rhubarb? Now, why don’t you tell me how to freeze rhubarb? Well, here I am listening to all of your queries in heart and answering them.
Below mentioned is one proper way of freezing rhubarb. So, make sure you go through it in detail.
If you are going to freeze stewed rhubarb then make sure you already have your rhubarb stewed. If not get it done before starting the process. Once rhubarb is stewed in the right manner, balance the tart flavor of your stewed rhubarb by adding a little sweetness to it.
Step 1: Cool rhubarb
Once you have properly stewed the rhubarb and added the sweetener. Let it cool at room temperature. Do not freeze the recipe if it is slightly warm. Let it cool completely.
Step 2: Empty rhubarb into a freezer bag.
Now you have to pour the cooled rhubarb, into a freezer bag. Make sure the bag is airtight and suck all the air out of the bag before sealing it.
Since you will be using a freezer bag, I will give you one trick for removing air. This will always be handy for you whenever you are looking to use freezer bags.
Place a straw inside the bag opening, keeping half of the straw out. Now seal the bag tightly along with the straw. If the bag has a zipper then zip it. Use your mouth to suck out as much air as you can. Finally, remove the straw gently and carefully to avoid entry of any excess air.
Step 3: Label the bag and place it in the freezer.
This step includes one of the most important steps which is labeling the freezer bag. Labeling the bag with the date of freezing is mandatory. As it provides you the reference of time. It keeps you reminding yourself how much time you have to finish this batch before it is spoiled.
Finally, keep the bag inside the freezer and now your frozen rhubarb is ready. Rhubarb will be frozen for around a year
To avoid any hassle try placing the stewed rhubarb in multiple freezer bags. Keep the portion in a bowl-sized amount. It’s for the best. So you would be wondering what else you have for me.
Some Tips Tor Freezing Stewed Rhubarb
Now you are familiar with the right process to get your frozen rhubarb ready. So let me share some tips that can be handy for you in this entire process.
- Tip 1: You can go for freezing any stewed fruit
The above-mentioned method isn’t just stewed rhubarb specific. Rather it works for almost every stewed fruit. So, you can use the above process for the same. If you like you can even mix multiple fruits. Fruits such as apples and plums go very well with it.
- Tip 2: You can even turn them into crumbles and pies.
If you have plenty of stewed rhubarb left out and want to enjoy a ready-to-go desert for a while. Then you can make a pie, crumbles, students & cobblers out of it and then freeze it.
How Long Can Frozen Rhubarb Last?
Generally, a thumb rule for freezing stewed rhubarb states that you can freeze it easily and successfully. Without encountering much of an issue your stewed rhubarb can easily go for up to 9 months.
There are some methods of freezing you will encounter where the duration will be a bit longer than usual which is 12 months. It is even said that the period may vary with the process, so it is completely safe to do so.
Yet always keep one thing in mind whatever method you choose doesn’t matter. What matters is that the longer you leave your stewed rhubarb in the freezer, there is way more chance that rhubarb will encounter a situation such as a freezer burn.
Let me mention that it’s rhubarb and rhubarb freezes beautifully. So, at last, it’s safe to say that freezing stewed rhubarb for 1 year is possible. But, try finishing it in under 9 months or as soon as possible.
How Do You Thaw Stewed Rhubarb? (frozen)
The process of defrosting your frozen stewed rhubarb will totally depend upon the fact that how you are planning to use it.
If you are looking to have it with a smoothie or fresh juice. Then you possibly want to keep it frozen. You simply have to throw it along with the other ingredients inside the blender and blend it!
Or if you are looking to have it in a pie or crumble or even want to snack on it after your dinner along with custard. Then you will have to defrost it properly.
The best possible way to defrost your frozen stewed rhubarb is to take it out of the freezer and store it inside the refrigerator overnight. As it will have almost an entire night to thaw out that is closed to 8 to 10 hours.
You can even try to leave the frozen rhubarb out for several hours to thaw it.
Conclusion
Stewed rhubarb is an amazing way of enjoying rhubarb. So, if you are a stewed rhubarb lover then do not hesitate to take advantage of the bumper offers and buy more from rhubarb. Now you shouldn’t be having any problems. If you can’t have them fresh you now know how to thaw your frozen stewed rhubarb. You can enjoy it on a holiday. You can have it alongside a soup or add it to a sauce post-meal. I would recommend you try it with sauce.
However, you can freeze stewed rhubarb, now you know how to thaw stewed rhubarb and even its ample amount of usage. I guess this was a win-win post for you. Let me know in the comments what you liked best about this post and what more you were looking for.