Michigan Cottage Cook: RHUBARB STRAWBERRY SAUCE ( OR RHUBARB RASPBERRY OR CHERRY SAUCE) FOR FRESH FRUIT CUPS

Before Joyce and John, Tom's cousins from Mississippi, arrived at their cottage in Highland Park, Grand Haven, they were on a 12 day canoe trip of the Thelon River in Canada. The Thelon River is 1-degree South of the Arctic Circle. On the trip up to the river, they stayed in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada at the Whooping Crane Guest House.

Fresh Fruit with Rhubarb-strawberry Sauce.

I wish I could say that I would have loved to be on their trip with them. After all I was my Dad's "the rougher the better girl" when he raced his rum-runner Chris Craft on Lake Michigan, and when he flew his planes. I wilderness tent camped with my babies and loved it. I took canoeing classes in college. While John and Joyce still find great pleasure paddling on rivers and facing the challenges of bugs when it is warm, sleet when it is cold, strong currents, and dried food, I find as I age I want my bathroom and ice cubes for my tea.

Joyce on the steps to their cottage in Highland Park with their canoe in the background.

Izzy doesn't want to go to the Northwest Territories as there are more wolves than people. She is afraid a wolf will kidnap her and take her home as a pet for the wolf puppies or even worse as a meal for the wolf puppies.

At the Whooping Crane Guest House, Christine, who runs the guest house served a fresh fruit cup with a rhubarb strawberry sauce that Joyce found fantastic. Since Joyce and I spent her time in Grand Haven at the Muskegon Farmer's Market, the Holland Farmer's Market, and the Grand Haven Farmer's Market, we had lots of fresh fruit from strawberries, red and black raspberries, cherries, blueberries, and blackberries. I decided that I would try to recreate the sauce that Joyce had in Fort Smith.

RHUBARB STRAWBERRY SAUCE FOR FRESH FRUIT CUPS
RHUBARB RASPBERRY SAUCE FOR FRESH FRUIT CUPS
RHUBARB CHERRY SAUCE FOR FRESH FRUIT CUPS
I decided to go back to an old recipe from my children's great-grandma who lived in Union City, Michigan. Mae, their great-grandma, made the original recipe as a jam for toast. If the sauce is refrigerated it will gel; however, warming it slightly will bring it back to a sauce consistency.

As I worked with the recipe I found it would also be wonderful with either red raspberries or tart cherries.

The amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the fruits and your own personal preference for sweet or tart. Remember that the gelatin has sugar in it too. I do not like sugar-free gelatin.

2 c rhubarb, diced
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
2 to 3 c water
1 (   oz) pkg. strawberry, raspberry or cherry gelatin
Fresh strawberries, raspberries or cherries

Ingredients for rhubarb/strawberry sauce: Sugar, rhubarb, and strawberry gelatin.

Fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled and cut in half.

Fresh fruit: We used red and black raspberries and blueberries.

Whipped cream is a nice addition.

RHUBARB RASPBERRY SAUCE

Fresh berries at the market.

Raspberries and raspberry gelatin.

RHUBARB RED CHERRY SAUCE

Red cherries at market.

Frozen red cherries and gelatin.

Put diced rhubarb in a bowl, cover with sugar. Do not mix together. Let stand overnight. (I refrigerate it.) The next day, put rhubarb/sugar mixture with water into a saucepan. Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and checking so it doesn't burn. Add gelatin and mix well. Add fresh fruit. Cool.