Pickled Rhubarb

Ingredients

1 pound rhubarb stalks (4 to 6 large stalks)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt (*I used coarse sea salt since I’ve read somewhere that regular table salt can make the brine bitter and turn grey.)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
2 star anise

Directions

Wash the rhubarb very well, and slice into stalk lengths that will fit into your jars. If the rhubarb is very wide, you can also slice them lengthwise.
Prepare your pickling jar and lid.
Divide the mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves and star anise between the jars if you have to use more than one.
Pack the rhubarb stalks in over the spices.

In a small saucepan, heat the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bring to the boil until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
Pour the hot liquid into your pickling jar(s) leaving 1/2 inch from the top just for now. Tap the jar lightly to knock out any air bobbles clinging to the rhubarb, and continue filling the jar with liquid. Close the jar and let it cure for at least 48 hours before eating.

If you plan to can these for longterm storage:
Wipe the jar rims if they’re sticky, put the lids on, and process the jars in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. Then, remove the jars from canner and set aside to cook on a folded kitchen towel. Once the jars have cooled enough to handle, remove the rings and test the seals. If the jars are at all sticky, wash them to remove the residue. You can store sealed jars in the pantry for up to 1 year.
Or, if you don’t bother with all the above:
Store your jar in the fridge and eat it within 2 weeks.

My Notes

I filled my usual pickling jar with the rhubarb and it had room for 2.5 cups of liquid around it all, so I used:
1.25 cups water
1.25 cups vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1.25 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2.5 teaspoons mustard (black)
3/4 teaspoon rainbow peppercorns
3/4 teaspoon whole cloves
2 star anise
I did not use a canning bath, and the pickles seemed just right to eat after about 4 days. I used black mustard seeds instead of the usual yellow mustard seeds. Next time I’ll use yellow to see what difference it makes.
We enjoyed these alongside our grain-based salad work lunches.