Got rhubarb? Here’s what to do with it all

June means asparagus, early radishes and much and many rhubarb, an easy-to-grow and prolific perennial plant that gives a super-versatile ingredient for candy and savoury dishes. 

Once I was a child, I might choose a stalk and eat it uncooked, dipping it in a bowl of sugar. Peeling it appeared to considerably cut back the bitterness.

Rhubarb may be baked into muffins, truffles, squares, even used as a pizza topping. Stewed up with a little bit sugar (to style) and water, it may be a topper for ice cream or biscuits, or eaten by itself.

CBC Information asked viewers on Facebook for his or her favorite methods to cook dinner with rhubarb. 

(Please word that usernames will not be essentially the names of commenters. Some feedback have been altered to right spelling and to evolve to CBC type.)

Glenda Landry’s rhubarb strawberry custard pie

Passionate residence cook dinner and foodie Glenda Landry of Stratford shared her recipe for rhubarb strawberry pie, given to her by her neighbour of 43 years, Phyllis Crockett, who says it was her great-aunt Anna Tait’s recipe. Crockett “is agency to say her recipe did not have any strawberries, I added these!” Landry mentioned. 

Use your favorite pastry recipe for a double-crust pie.

FILLING:

4 cups of minimize rhubarb

2 cups minimize strawberries

Custard: 1 ½ cups white sugar, 3 Tablespoons flour, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 Tablespoons mushy butter, 2 barely overwhelmed eggs.

Gently stir the custard into the ready fruit. Spoon into ready pie pastry. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes, then 350 levels for 40 minutes. 

Beth Johnston’s rhubarb punch

Beth Johnston of Charlottetown loves cooking and baking with seasonal components like rhubarb. The recipe for a punch utilizing rhubarb easy syrup got here from her aunt Paula Willis, who has made it for crowds at weddings, funerals and different group gatherings. 

Johnston additionally makes use of the syrup in cocktails. 

First, boil equal quantities of rhubarb and water: one litre of rhubarb and one litre of water. Cook dinner until clear then pressure.

For every “authentic” quart of rhubarb, add ¾ to 1 cup of sugar to heat, strained juices, plus 1/3 cup of orange juice and ¼ cup fresh-squeezed strained lemon juice. 

When it is time to make the punch, merely add 2 cups of ginger ale which the recipe says, “have to be Canada Dry ginger ale,” and no ice as a result of it should dilute it. 

Johnston additionally makes a killer rhubarb upside-down cake, with a recipe from the New York Instances.

Dehydrate it

“I’m within the midst of dehydrating 33 kilos of it,” commented Karen Mellish-Might of Summerside.

“[It stays] shelf secure at room temperature for years, rehydrates very properly for pies, crisps, or sauce, can substitute raisins in loaves or muffins, good to eat out of hand. And takes up solely about 1/10 the kitchen actual property that frozen or canned would.” 

She blanches the rhubarb in a big pot of water with a cup of sugar.

“Wash rhubarb, minimize in 1/3 inch slices. When water is boiling simmer the rhubarb for 2 minutes. No measurements or timings need to be precise,” she mentioned. 

“Ladle fruit onto trays and drain for a minute so your dehydrator will not be a large number.”

Paulette Melvin Arsenault’s rhubarb sauce

Paulette Melvin Arsenault preserves rhubarb in jars as a multi-purpose sauce.

“My recipe is absolutely easy: 8 cups of rhubarb, ¼ cup water, 1 cup sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Cook dinner for 15 to twenty minutes,” she directs.

“My favorite means to make use of it’s with my oats within the morning, however I additionally prefer it for a topping on ice cream or on a chunk of toast with peanut butter.” 

Pleasure Shinn could have the only recipe of all: caramelized rhubarb.

“Principally cooking with some sugar on range till brown however not burnt. Nice on sandwiches!” she mentioned.