I’ve wanted to make this fruit sauce for years, but I didn’t always have enough rhubarb available to try it. That’s definitely not the problem this year as I have tons of rhubarb. I found this recipe in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, and their title for it is Victorian Barbecue Sauce. When I hear the word “barbecue,” I think of smoky, spicy sauce for grilled meats, and this sauce is definitely not that. It’s fruity and a bit tangy, but the spices are definitely not a traditional barbecue flavor, so I just wanted to get that out so your taste buds aren’t disappointed.

It’s a fruit sauce that I think will be really good with pork, either grilled or a baked over a roast. I haven’t yet tried it in a recipe. I’ve only sampled what was left in the pan after I filled the jars, and I thought it tasted really good. I may decide to cut back on the allspice, but I’ll decide that after I try it over some pork. Recipe says the yield is about 4 pints. I ended up with 3-1/2, so your results may vary.

Rhubarb Victorian Sauce

8 cups chopped rhubarb
3-1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups chopped raisins
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt

Prepare canner, jars, and lids.

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine rhubarb, brown sugar, raisins, onion, vinegar, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened to the consistency of a thin commercial barbecue sauce, about 30 minutes.

Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot sauce. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to finger-tip tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, and then remove jars. Cool and store.

Yield: Makes about 4 pints.

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