Rhubarb is sweet and tart and the perfect base for a bright sauce that goes with almost everything! I had a great time demonstrating this versatile sauce at the Wakefield Rhubarb Festival. I love preserving fruits and vegetables that have a short season so that we can enjoy them throughout the year. I can bring out a little rhubarb sunshine in the depths of winter as the glaze for chicken wings or to dollop onto Wensleydale.

Change the flavour to your taste by adjusting the amount of ginger, chilli and sugar

INGREDIENTS
400g rhubarb, cut into small pieces
100ml cider vinegar
1-2 tbsp grated ginger
1 whole fresh red chilli deseeded
200g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp cornflour

• Chop the rhubarb and add to a saucepan over a medium heat along with the deseeded chilli, grated ginger, vinegar and salt.
• Heat until soft then add the sugar and cook for another minute or two before blending.

• Blend with either a stick or jug blender until smooth then return to the heat and keep stirring so that the sugar doesn’t clump. Keep stirring until the sauce starts to thicken more.
• Taste and adjust the flavour with chilli flakes, salt, vinegar or sugar as needed.
• If it needs thickening, add the cornflour slurry. (1 or 2 tbps of cornflour mixed with a little water until smooth). Return to the heat and stir for another couple of minutes.
• The sauce will thicken as it cools too. Decant into clean jars or containers. This sauce is suitable for freezing.