As a little girl, I remember tromping through my Pappy Buzz’s garden to the rhubarb patch every year in the springtime. Harvesting the vibrant reddish pink stalks offered anticipation of the sweet and sour rhubarb sauce, also known as stewed rhubarb that he served with meals throughout the season. My favorite way to eat it is plain in a small dish, because thats how Pappy served it. But it is a lovely topping for yogurt, ice cream, toast, pancakes, and waffles.

You’ll notice that I give you the option to choose the sweetener that best suits your family’s nutritional needs. For many years, I have prepared this with monk fruit sweetener to decrease the sugar content in the recipe because our family functions best on a ketogenic diet. I highly recommend being mindful of the sugar content in your diet from both refined or natural sources because blood glucose spikes are inflammatory. In fact, blood sugar dysregulation is associated with many unwanted symptoms. Thankfully, the ingredients found in this recipe- rhubarb and antioxidant-rich, low-glycemic berries- are much lower in sugars and carbohydrates.

Ingredients

5-6 cups rhubarb, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or cranberries

3/4 cup sweetener such as raw honey, maple syrup, or monk fruit sweetener

2 tablespoons water

1 vanilla bean, scraped or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

a pinch of unrefined salt

Method

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the rhubarb, berries, sweetener, water, and vanilla bean, if using. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce heat to a low to simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until rhubarb and berries are tender; about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool. Remove the vanilla bean. Store in the refrigerator. Serve warm or cold. Makes about 3- 4 cups.