Boiling up a pot of memories

Rhubarb relish ingredients ready to boil.

Back in my home province of Alberta, my sister and I are chopping rhubarb and onions. We are makimg rhubarb relish, which our mother and grandmother used to make and several of our siblings still do. 

Soon the kitchen is filled with the scent of spicy, sweet vinegar and the sounds of the relish bubbling in one pot and our jars bouncing as they are sterilized in another pot.

Well used Purity cook book with rhubarb relish recipe.

The recipe our mother and grandmother used comes from the Purity cook book, published by Purity Flour Mills in various editions since the 1930s. The book has been a reliable reference in Canadian kitchens since then.

We use a modified recipe with more rhubarb to the given amount of sugar and improvise with the spices.

Jars of rhubarb relish for the months ahead.

After filling the jars to store on the cold room shelves, we have some relish left and sample with bread and cheese for lunch – delicious.

Our relish is great with bread and cheese.

Rhubarb has been valued as an early fruit on the Canadian prairies since the start of European settlement. Ours has been harvested from our late mother’s garden, increasing its value to us. 

Rhubarb is ready for harvest in the spring.