Rhubarb Juice Concentrate (with Canning Instructions)
Rhubarb juice concentrate is such an easy way to savor rhubarb when it’s in season, and it’s fantastic for keeping that tangy goodness handy all year round.
Whipping up rhubarb juice is a simple, no-fuss way to keep rhubarb around longer, and you can safely water bath can it. You don’t have to can it though; it keeps well in the fridge for up to two weeks, or frozen for up to six months if you’d rather.
What I really like about making rhubarb juice is that you can do it whenever your rhubarb is growing. Usually, once the weather heats up, rhubarb turns stringy and a bit tough, making it less than ideal for pies and most recipes.
But when you make juice, that stringiness doesn’t matter at all, because you strain out all the solids. You’re left with pure, fresh rhubarb flavor, which means you can make this bright, tasty rhubarb juice even in the middle of summer.
And once you have this rhubarb juice concentrate ready, you can easily turn it into rhubarb jelly or mix it into refreshing drinks throughout the warm months.
This easy-to-follow recipe for rhubarb juice concentrate comes straight from the Ball Complete Book of Home Canning. I’ve got quite a few canning cookbook treasures, but this one is special — it’s the only one I’ve seen with a rhubarb juice canning recipe.
Rhubarb juice concentrate lets you pack the lively tang of rhubarb into a simple, handy concentrate that stores well and tastes amazing.
Prep: 2 hours hrs
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Canning Time (Optional): 10 minutes mins
Total: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Rhubarb juice concentrate is such a handy and fuss-free way to lock in the bright, tangy flavor of rhubarb when it’s at its peak — and keep it ready to enjoy for months. On this page, I’ll walk you through the easy ingredients and steps you need, explain how to water bath can the concentrate safely (or store it in your fridge or freezer if you prefer), and share some fun variations and serving ideas for using your concentrate in drinks, jellies, syrups, and more.
Here’s what to expect:
- A super short ingredients list: chopped rhubarb, some water to bring out the juice, and sugar or your favorite sweetener if you want.
- An easy method: simmer the rhubarb until soft, strain out the solids, warm the juice to dissolve sweetener if using, then chill or water bath can as you like.
- Helpful details upfront — you’ll get about 4 pints (8 cups) from 12 cups chopped rhubarb and 4 cups water, it takes roughly 2 hours total including straining, about 10 minutes of cooking, and 10 minutes of canning if you choose. Storage options include fridge, freezer, or pantry if canned.
- Tips for the best results, ideas to mix it up (like lemonade or strawberry rhubarb), and safety notes to remember — like removing rhubarb leaves and following canning guidelines if you’re water bath processing.
Whether you’re preserving an over-the-top garden haul or just want a ready-to-go rhubarb base for tasty drinks or desserts, this recipe, adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Canning, keeps things simple. Keep reading for the full ingredient list, easy step-by-step instructions, canning tips, and creative ways to enjoy your concentrate.
Why It’s Worth Making
This rhubarb juice concentrate is a bright and tart treat that’s super easy to make with just a handful of pantry staples. It’s a simple way to capture that fresh rhubarb tang right when it’s best so you can keep that flavor with you all year long.
One of my favorite things — you can even use stringy or tougher summer stalks that aren’t great for pies because you strain out all the solids, leaving just the pure rhubarb flavor behind. Plus, this concentrate is super versatile: stir it into cold drinks, create refreshing cocktails or mocktails, turn it into jelly, or simmer it down to a syrup.
- Just three simple ingredients with no fancy equipment needed — rhubarb, water, and optional sugar.
- Works for safe water bath canning, or just chill and store in the fridge or freezer if you prefer.
- You get a nice yield too — around 4 pints of juice from 12 cups of chopped rhubarb and 4 cups water.
Ingredients and Measurements
- 12 cups rhubarb, sliced into 1” pieces, stalks only, leaves removed
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup sugar, optional, see notes
Cook, Strain, and Can
- Remove rhubarb leaves and slice stalks into roughly 1-inch pieces.
- In a large stockpot, combine 12 cups chopped rhubarb and 4 cups water.
- Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the rhubarb is very soft and breaking down, about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Line a jelly bag or a colander with two layers of dampened cheesecloth.
- Pour the rhubarb mixture into the lined strainer and let the juice drip for 1 to 2 hours until the solids are quite dry.
- If canning, preheat a water bath canner to a gentle simmer (about 180°F).
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Pour the strained juice into a clean saucepan and add sugar if using.
- Warm the juice gently to dissolve the sugar without boiling, then remove from heat and skim off any foam.
- Ladle the hot rhubarb juice concentrate into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, and seal with two-piece canning lids tightened finger-tight.
- If canning, process pints or half-pints in the simmering water bath canner for 10 minutes.
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After processing, turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for 5 minutes, then remove them and let cool completely on a towel-lined surface.
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Wait 12 to 24 hours and check jar seals.
Tips and Safety Reminders
- Never use rhubarb leaves — they’re poisonous. Only use the stalks.
- Slice your stalks into roughly 1-inch pieces so they soften quickly and release juice evenly.
- Simmer the rhubarb just until it’s very soft, about 10 minutes. Cooking it longer won’t really give you more juice.
- Strain through a jelly bag or double-layer cheesecloth-lined colander and let it drip for 1–2 hours. This gives you the clearest, most flavorful juice.
- When warming the juice with sugar, heat only enough to dissolve the sugar and avoid boiling it again if you’ll be canning.
- Skim off foam before filling jars to keep the juice clear and pretty.
- Fill hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, and seal with finger-tight lids. Preheat your water bath canner to a gentle simmer (around 180–190°F) before processing.
- Process pints and half-pints for 10 minutes. After turning off heat, let jars stay in the water for 5 more minutes before removing and cooling.
- If you use alternative sweeteners like honey, maple, or agave, reduce the amount to about two-thirds and check that the sweetener is safe for canning if you’ll process your jars.
- Always label your jars with contents and date so you remember when to use them!
Serving Suggestions and Mix-Ins
I love stirring rhubarb juice concentrate into cold water or sparkling water for a quick and refreshing treat. Everyone’s taste is different, but I usually start with about 1/4 cup concentrate per pint (16 oz) of water and tweak as I go.
This concentrate also shines in fun rhubarb drink recipes, whether you want a refreshing virgin mocktail or a sparkly rhubarb cocktail for the grown-ups.
4.67 from 6 votes
Servings: 32 servings, Makes about 4 Pints (8 cups total)
Rhubarb Juice Concentrate (with Canning Instructions)
Rhubarb juice concentrate is an easy way to preserve the flavor of rhubarb in a convenient easy to use juice concentrate.
Prep: 2 hours hrs
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Canning Time (Optional): 10 minutes mins
Total: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Equipment
- Half Pint Jars
Ingredients
- 12 cups rhubarb, sliced into 1” pieces, stalks only, leaves removed
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup sugar, optional, see notes
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Instructions
- In a large stockpot, combine your chopped rhubarb and water.
- Heat to a boil over medium-high heat. When boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until your rhubarb is very soft and starting to break down, about 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat.
- Line a jelly bag or a colander with two layers of dampened cheesecloth and strain the rhubarb mixture to collect the juice. You should get around 8 cups (4 pints). Let the juice drip for 1 to 2 hours until the rhubarb is quite dry.
- If you’re canning, get your water bath canner started by preheating it to a gentle simmer at about 180 degrees F.
- Pour the strained juice back into a clean saucepan. Add sugar if using. Warm gently to dissolve the sugar, but do not let it boil. Remove from heat and skim off any foam that forms.
- Ladle the hot rhubarb juice concentrate into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Seal with two-piece canning lids, tightened just until finger-tight.
- If canning, process pint or half-pint jars in your water bath canner for 10 minutes. Once done, turn off the heat and leave the jars in the canner for 5 minutes before carefully removing them. Let the jars cool completely on a towel-lined surface.
- Wait 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals. Use any unsealed jars right away by storing them in the fridge. Properly sealed jars can be stored in your pantry. Remember to refrigerate after opening.
Notes
Sugar is totally optional and not required for safe canning. You can adjust the amount up or down, or skip it completely depending on your taste. If you want a thicker, syrup-style concentrate instead of juice, increase sugar to 1 cup for every cup of juice. The canning steps stay the same.
Alternative sweeteners are fine, but be sure to check that they are safe for water bath canning if you plan to process jars.
Try these tasty twists for something a little different:
- Rhubarb Lemonade Concentrate ~ Add the juice of 2 to 4 lemons (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup). I like using closer to 1/2 cup for a punchy lemon flavor. Increase sugar to 2 cups and expect closer to 5 pints of concentrate. This is a stronger, tarter concentrate that stretches further when diluted.
- Strawberry Rhubarb Juice Concentrate ~ Add 1 to 2 quarts of fresh strawberries to the rhubarb when cooking. Keep sugar at 1 cup. Each quart of strawberries adds about 1 to 1 1/2 cups juice, so adding about 6 cups berries should give roughly 5 pints total yield.
- Sunshine Rhubarb Concentrate ~ Mix in the zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange while cooking. Add an extra 1/2 cup sugar (1 1/2 cups total) to balance the citrus tartness.
Nutrition
Calories: 34kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 0.4g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.02g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.05g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g, Sodium: 3mg, Potassium: 132mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 47IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 0.1mg
Nutrition info is calculated automatically, so please use it as a general guide only.
Love this recipe? Drop a comment below and let me know!
Storage, Freezing, and Canning
How you store your rhubarb juice concentrate depends on whether you decide to can it or not. If you skip canning, just pop it in the fridge or freezer. Canned jars can hang out safely in your pantry.
- Refrigerator (if not canned or once opened): Keep in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: Use freezer-safe containers with some headspace and freeze up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
- Canned jars: Properly processed and sealed jars keep best quality stored in a cool, dark place for about 12–18 months. Once opened, refrigerate.
- When reheating or reconstituting, warm gently to dissolve sugar or to create syrup. For a lovely drink, start with about 1/4 cup concentrate per pint (16 oz) of water or sparkling water and adjust to your taste.
- Make-ahead tip: Can or freeze your rhubarb concentrate to have on hand for later. Use it as a base for drinks, turn it into jelly, or reduce it to syrup (for syrup, boost sugar to about 1 cup per cup of juice as noted earlier).
- Always toss any opened jars that smell off, show mold, or look strange.
Common Questions Answered
- Q: Is sugar necessary to can rhubarb juice? — A: No, sugar isn’t required for safe canning, only for flavor. You can can plain, unsweetened rhubarb juice.
- Q: Is rhubarb juice safe to can? — A: Yes! Rhubarb is naturally acidic which makes it safe for water bath canning. Just bring it to a simmer, fill jars, and process for 10 minutes as outlined.
- Q: Can I use stringy or older rhubarb stalks? — A: Absolutely! Texture doesn’t matter since you strain out the solids. Juice from stringy stalks tastes great.
- Q: How much concentrate should I use for drinks? — A: Start with about 1/4 cup of concentrate per pint (16 oz) of water or seltzer and adjust to what tastes best for you.
- Q: Can I swap in other sweeteners? — A: Yes! Honey, maple syrup, and agave work well. Use about two-thirds the amount compared to sugar, and double-check your sweetener is safe if you plan to can.
- Q: What if my yield is less than expected? — A: Yields vary with how juicy your rhubarb is. Let the jelly bag or cheesecloth drip fully for 1–2 hours and gently press if you want more juice, but pressing can make the juice cloudy.
- Q: Can I make syrup or jelly from this concentrate? — A: Definitely! For syrup, add about 1 cup sugar per cup of juice. You can also follow a jelly recipe using this concentrate as the juice base.
- Q: Do both half-pints and pints work for canning? — A: Yes, the recipe and processing time of 10 minutes apply to both.
