Looking for a rhubarb sauce

[BethieofVA]

that my husband claims is late aunt used to make when he was a kid growing up in MN. He remembers it basically being the vegetable and raisins. He said it was cooked on the stove, it was brown, not red and not real sweet, since they were diabetics. He thought maybe the raisins were in there for sweetness. They used to eat it on pancakes and straight from the jar. Any ideas?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
My thinking is that the raisins made the sauce brown. If she didn't use sugar (or much sugar) that she cut up the rhubarb, added some water to cover and simmered it in a pot with some raisins for sweetness. I would think you'd need SOME sugar, but perhaps not. I would simmer it down for a while until it reduces out the water. If he remembers it being a thicker sauce, you could add a little slurry of cornstarch mixed with cold water and drizzle that in until the desired consistency. (I'd add a little pure vanilla extract too, but that's just me!)

How's that sound?

 

[wildorchid053]

i wonder if it was like a chutney style sauce? there are several rhubarb chutney recipes with raisins on line

 

[BethieofVA]

Quote:
My thinking is that the raisins made the sauce brown. If she didn't use sugar (or much sugar) that she cut up the rhubarb, added some water to cover and simmered it in a pot with some raisins for sweetness. I would think you'd need SOME sugar, but perhaps not. I would simmer it down for a while until it reduces out the water. If he remembers it being a thicker sauce, you could add a little slurry of cornstarch mixed with cold water and drizzle that in until the desired consistency. (I'd add a little pure vanilla extract too, but that's just me!)

How's that sound?

Sounds good enough to me! LOL!! I was thinking the same thing about the raisins instead of the sugar. The vanilla would be a great addition. I am going to give this a try. THANKS!!!

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
My thinking is that the raisins made the sauce brown. If she didn't use sugar (or much sugar) that she cut up the rhubarb, added some water to cover and simmered it in a pot with some raisins for sweetness. I would think you'd need SOME sugar, but perhaps not. I would simmer it down for a while until it reduces out the water. If he remembers it being a thicker sauce, you could add a little slurry of cornstarch mixed with cold water and drizzle that in until the desired consistency. (I'd add a little pure vanilla extract too, but that's just me!)

How's that sound?

Sounds good enough to me! LOL!! I was thinking the same thing about the raisins instead of the sugar. The vanilla would be a great addition. I am going to give this a try. THANKS!!!

You're welcome. Let me know what he thinks.