Rhubarb is a perennial plant grown in cooler climates.  It has been around for several hundred years, and is sometimes called “pie plant”.  The stems are the edible part; the leaves are poisonous.  It comes up early in the spring from a crown of thick roots, grows quickly, and dies back late in the fall.   Rhubarb is picked only in the spring and early summer when it is most juicy and the stems are hard and crisp.  Later the leaves turn yellow and the stems become soft and it is no longer satisfactory for eating.  In Colonial times it was often used as a spring tonic, as it is a mild laxative.  It is most often served cooked in sauce, pies, or cobblers, but some people eat it raw, dipped in a little salt.  However, it is very tart (sour), and most people would rather eat it sweetened.

Preparation: To prepare rhubarb, wash and trim the stems.  Be sure to remove all of the leaves, because they are poisonous.  The pink and white parts at the base of the stem are good, and make a pink color when cooked.  For most recipes, rhubarb is chopped in ¼” to ½” pieces.  One pound of rhubarb yields about 3½ cups of chopped rhubarb.  Rhubarb can be frozen raw and chopped, but it takes up a lot of freezer space like that, so it is probably best to make the sauce and then freeze that. It is very tart and sugar is necessary–how much depends on your taste.  Later in the season the stems are not as juicy so you must adjust the amount of liquid or thickening in your recipe.

Storage: Rhubarb will keep a week or more wrapped in plastic (or in some sort of sealed plastic container) and refrigerated

Fresh Rhubarb Pie

Taken from Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book 2nd edition, 1956

yields one 9″ or 8″ double crust pie

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 cups sugar
• ⅓ cup flour 
• ½  tsp. cinnamon or cardamom
•  4 cups prepared rhubarb
• 3/4 to 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon or cardamon
• 3 c prepared rhubarb

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 °F
• Prepare crust for two-crust pie.  Line the pie pan with bottom crust.
• Mix together the flour, sugar and spices.  Add the chopped rhubarb and stir well.
• Pour into pie shell and dot with 1 Tbs. butter.
• Cover with top shell
• Bake @ 400° F  40-50 minutes.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

Taken from Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book 2nd edition, 1956

Yields 1 pie

Ingredients:

       For 9″ Pie                                             For 8″ Pie

• 3 eggs                                                   2 eggs
• 3 Tbs. milk                                          2 Tbs. milk
• 2 cups sugar  (or less)                     1½ cups sugar
•  ¼ cup flour                                        3 Tbs. flour
•  ¾ tsp. nutmeg                                   ½ tsp. nutmeg
•  4 cups prepared rhubarb              3 cups prepared rhubarb

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Prepare crust for single-crust pie.  Line pan with crust.
• Beat the eggs. Add the milk and mix well.
• Stir in sugar, flour and spices.
• Add  rhubarb, stir.
• Pour into pastry-lined pan.
• Dot with butter.
• Cover with lattice top or leave open.  For lattice you will need pastry for a two-crust pie.
• Bake @ 400° F until set and nicely browned, about 40-50 minutes.