Can I Use Tinned Rhubarb For The Rhubarb And Strawberry Compote?

Our answer

Nigella's Rhubarb And Strawberry Compote (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) is a good accompaniment to the Spruced-Up Vanilla Cake but also goes well with other dishes, such as breakfast granola, ice cream or yogurt. It is also very easy to make as it uses only rhubarb and a jar of good-quality strawberry jam. If you can get early forced rhubarb then that is ideal, but frozen rhubarb is a good alternative.

If you can't get either of these then you could use tinned or canned rhubarb. This rhubarb is usually canned in light syrup and already cooked, so we would suggest draining the rhubarb, using only the fruit and reserving the syrup for another use. As approximately half of the can's weight is syrup, you will need to work out how many cans you need but we would estimate 2-3 cans. Put the jam and drained rhubarb in a saucepan and omit the initial cooking stage. Bring the pan to the boil, reduce the heat slightly and let it bubble away for 2-4 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly (watch the pan carefully in case the mixture starts to catch on the bottom of the pan). Let the compote cool to room temperature and taste. As the rhubarb was canned in syrup it will be slightly sweeter than raw or frozen rhubarb, so you may need to add a squeeze or two of lemon juice to temper the compote if it is overly sweet.