rhubarb applesauce

I adore rhubarb. I love its tartness, it’s slightly stringy texture. I love it’s Lilly Pultizer-esque pink-and-green color scheme. And I love that it's coming into season just as my boys turn nine months (and that it's coincidentally on the list of foods for 9-month-olds to try. Serendipity!).

When my in-laws brought us some rhubarb a week ago, I started thinking, “Hmmmmmmmm…what can I make the boys with this?” My first thought was rhubarb custard, but not wanting to use any sweetener, I figured that dish wouldn’t serve to give them a favorable introduction to something that sits so firmly on the sour/bitter side of the flavor spectrum (even though they, like me, seem to like sour).

Then earlier this week, while cooking them up a batch of pearsauce, it hit me: RHUBARB APPLESAUCE!!! Perfect!

Rhurbarb Applesauce

1 bag organic Fuji apples, peeled, cored and diced
4 or 5 medium/large stalks of rhubarb, peeled and diced
1/3 cup of water

1. Bring apples, rhubarb and water to a slow simmer in a medium-sized saucepan.
   
2. Continue simmering for approximately 35 minutes or until apples begin to fall apart when tested with a fork.
   
3. Mash warm sauce with a potato masher for a slightly chunky sauce or cool and run through a food mill or food processor for a smoother texture.
   
4. Can or freeze immediately to preserve color and nutrients.
   

Helpful hints:

• You can really use whatever apples you like best. We had never had Fuji apples before, but they were the only organic apples the hubby could find. We ended up really enjoying their sweet, slightly floral flavor paired with the rhubarb (and, on further research, they are known for being great applesauce apples, so go figure...).
• If you want to make a smaller or larger batch, basically try to keep your ratio at 2/3 apples to 1/3 rhubarb. I ended up with nine 4 oz. jelly jars using the above quantity of apples and rhubarb.
• Peeling the outer layer of the rhubarb with a vegetable peeler or paring knife gets rid of the stringiness that is usually associated with rhubarb. Unfortunately it also means your final product won't have that lovely pink hue that comes from cooking rhubarb, but for babies, I figured it was best to go ahead a peel it.
• Applesauce will very easily boil over, so use a saucepan slightly larger than you think is necessary and keep the heat as low as possible to maintain a nice, easy simmer.
  

So far, I've served the rhubarb applesacue to G & Q twice, and it was a big hit both times. They actually seem to enjoy it more than their plain applesauce (which I made with organic Red Delicious apples, so who can blame them? Blech.) or pearsauce. And the hubby went nuts for it! So I'm planning to make another, bigger batch soon to freeze up for us.

Bon appetite, babies!