Rhubarb is a perennial plant that grows well in cool climates — below 75 degrees — so you need to enjoy it this spring before the weather heats up. There are actually six different types ranging in color from bright red to soft green and they taste the same, but the red or pink look nice in some desserts. Raw rhubarb is tart, so it is often used with sugar in desserts like cake and pies, shortbread and jams. Many recipes use it in combination with other fruits.
The edible stalks of rhubarb should be firm, shiny, unbent and free of bruises. To pick rhubarb you should pull the stalks to harvest. Remove leaves and wash to remove dirt. The stalks are edible, but the leaves contain oxalic acid and are toxic to humans and animals.
---
This recipe is an easy, tasty spring dessert. It tastes best using fresh rhubarb, but frozen also works.
Delicious Rhubarb Fluff
4 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced into 1 inch pieces
3 Tbsp. water
1 ½ cups sugar
3 ounce package strawberry gelatin
4 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup whipping cream
Combine rhubarb in large saucepan. Cook until rhubarb is tender; about 10 minutes. While hot add gelatin and marshmallows. Mix well and transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until cooled. In a large bowl, whip cream until peaks form. Fold into rhubarb jello mixture. Refrigerate until serving. 8 servings.
---
This old fashioned rhubarb cake tastes great with a delicious butter sauce. It’s made in a 9X13 pan and serves 15 so it is perfect for pot lucks or picnics.
Rhubarb Cake with Butter Sauce
For the cake: 4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
½ tsp. salt
4 cups rhubarb
2 cups milk
6 Tbsp. butter
For the butter sauce:
½ cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
¾ cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the diced rhubarb, milk and melted butter. Stir until just combined. Pour the batter into a greased 9X13 inch baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake. Remove from the oven and cool.
To make the butter sauce: Combine the butter, sugar and cream in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 1 minute stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
To serve: Cut pieces of cake and serve with a generous amount of warm butter sauce. Warm sauce on the stove or in the microwave if necessary.
---
This recipe combines the tart rhubarb taste of spring with the sweet summer fruit peach for a perfect pie filling. The golden streusel is perfect for the fruity pie.
Peach Rhubarb Pie
1 pie crust
3 cups rhubarb, chopped
2 cups peaches, fresh or defrosted, chopped
½ cup flour
1 ½ cups sugar
pinch of salt
Streusel Topping
½ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
½ tsp. cinnamon
Prepare pie crust. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss chopped peaches and rhubarb with sugar, flour and salt. Spread evenly in prepared pie crust. Place pie crust over baking sheet to catch any bubble overs and bake for 30 minutes.
While baking mix streusel ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly. After 30 minutes of baking, remove from the oven and sprinkle with the streusel topping. Return to oven and lower temperature to 375 degrees. Bake an additional 20 minutes, cover crust with pie shield or foil if it gets too dark. Filling will be bubbly and thickened. Serve warm with ice cream.6-8 servings.
---
This tangy strawberry rhubarb jam can be used on toast, muffins, or biscuits. It uses gelatin for thickening instead of pectin and has a nice consistency. If you don’t want to add crushed pineapple, you can add 8 ounces more strawberries. The recipe makes 5 ½ cups and needs to be refrigerated.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
2 ½ cups fresh or frozen strawberries, crushed
1 ½ cups finely diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
2 ½ cups sugar
1 can (3 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
In a large kettle, combine strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and pineapple. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, Remove from the heat and stir in gelatin until dissolved. Pour into refrigerator containers, leaving ½ inch headspace. Let stand until cooled to room temperature. Top with lids. Refrigerate for 3-4 weeks. Yields 5 1/2 cups.
