The presence of this hardy vegetable/fruit plant is back for another season, proving once again it is able to withstand just about any kind of winter weather.
Rhubarb plants are growing nicely and will soon be ready to be made into jams, jellies, crisps, pies, salsas and so many other tasty items.
This week’s recipes come from friends and family members.
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Banana Rhubarb Jam
7 lbs. (14 cups) rhubarb, red preferred
1 lb. ripe bananas
10-12 cups white sugar
Wipe the rhubarb and cut into small pieces with a sharp knife so the skin doesn’t come off in stringy pieces.
Place chopped rhubarb into a large enamel bowl and spread the sugar over it to draw out the juice. Let stand overnight.
In the morning, transfer rhubarb and sugar into a large cooking pot. Heat gently to the boiling point, reduce heat then cook slowly for about an hour.
Meanwhile, peel and mash the bananas finely. After the rhubarb has cooked for an hour, add the mashed bananas and cook for another 15 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into sterilized jars and seal immediately. Do not use paraffin as a sealant. Store in a cool spot.
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Orange Rhubarb Marmalade
4 large oranges
8 cups boiling water
4 lbs. (8 cups) rhubarb
sugar
Wipe the oranges and drop them whole into the boiling water. Boil steadily for 10 minutes then remove and set aside.
Wipe the rhubarb, cut into small pieces to make 8 cups then drop into the same water in which the oranges were cooked. Boil for 10 minutes.
Cut the oranges into quarters and remove the seeds and core. Put through a food chopper. Add the chopped oranges to the rhubarb mixture and then measure the full amount.
Return to the cooking pot. Add one cup of sugar for each cup of the mixture. Stir until the sugar is dissolved then boil hard for 20 minutes or until thick. More sugar may be required.
Pour into hot sterilized jars, wipe down and seal. Store in a cool location.
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Rhubarb-Strawberry Pie
1 egg
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsps. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 lb. rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pint halved strawberries
1-9 inch unbaked pie crust
Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup cold butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg. Add the sugar, flour and vanilla; mix well. Gently fold in rhubarb and strawberries. Pour into pastry shell.
For topping, combine flour, brown sugar and oats in a small bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with ice cream.
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
