Rhubarb

[Heather]

Hi, does anybody have any good ideas for rhubarb? I don't really make desserts and other than freezing it (for what, I dunno...) I can't find anything online.

[yarborough house]

My grandmother always made strawberry rhubarb pie and she made and canned rhubarb jam..

[Gigi]

Hi Heather--- I hope this helps- I visit this wonderful blog often. It's called "HomeSpun Living".

http://homespunliving.blogspot.com/2009/05/seasonal-eating.html

Debbie has some wonderful ideas about rhuburb....

[RoseMary]

I've never made anything with rhubarb, either.

Thanks for the great link, Gigi! I can tell I'll be spending some time looking around that blog:).

[shabbychick]

I adore rhubarb. My grandmother made wonderful rhubarb pie. I wonder if you can pickle it the same way you pickle watermelon rind to make watermelon pickles? My grandmother used to make those, too, and they are just about the best thing I've ever eaten.

[Heather]

Wow, I've never heard of watermelon pickles! I'm going to go search for the recipe....

[yarborough house]

My grandmother used to do lots with zucchini also. She made zucchini relish for hotdogs..very good. But fave was zucchini bread and chocolate cake.

the watermelon pickles sound very interesting indeed.

[shabbychick]

I found this recipe in the Mount Vernon cookbook. The pickles it makes taste just like the ones my grandmother made.

Sweet Pickle Watermelon Rind

Remove enough rind from a watermelon to yield 7 pounds of fruit. Prepare rind by cutting off green skin and leaving just a little of the pink meat. Cut into cubes. Cover with hot water and parboil until rind can be pierced with a toothpick or fork prong. For 7 pounds of fruit make the following syrup:

3-1/2 pounds sugar
1 pint vinegar
1/2 tsp oil of cloves
1/2 tsp oil of cinnamon

Drain off water from parboiled fruit. Bring syrup to boiling point and pour over the fruit. Let stand in the kettle or container overnight. Drain the rind. Bring syrup to boiling point and pour over rind again. Repeat 24 hours later. On the third day heat the rind and syrup and boil a few minutes and put in jars.

The recipe didn't say anything about sealing the jars, but I went ahead and did the hot water bath method. There's another recipe I've used that uses salt, but I didn't like they way they turned out. These are much better.

[yarborough house]

Heather I found this rhubarb recipe on a blog...

RHUBARB BARS
3 cups chopped fresh rhubarb from At the Farm
2 teaspoons orange zest
Juice of 1 large orange
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal (old fashioned, not instant)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a glass 9 x 13-inch pan.
In a large pot, put the rhubarb, orange zest, juice, water and granulated sugar over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the rhubarb is tender and the mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, salt and cinnamon, then work in the butter with your fingers to make a crumbly dough. Mix in nuts. Pat half of this dough into the greased glass pan.

Turn the rhubarb onto the crust, top with the remaining crumbles. Bake about 30 to 35 minutes until nicely browned. Serves 14 to 16.

[Heather]

Oh I ended up giving it all to my neighbor.... but thanks anyways!

[Breezy]

Shabbychick - my grandmother made watermelon pickles too - they were so good.

Tammy - the recipe for rhubarb bars sounds yummy - zucchini bread is delicious!