Rhubarb Recipes

Our rhubarb plant (well, the big one - we have 4 total) is getting pretty big!

Of course I still have rhubarb in the freezer from last summer...

Here's my go-to rhubarb recipes:

Rhubarb Dump Cake

1 lb. fresh rhubarb, chopped (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Heat oven to 350ºF.
Place rhubarb in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with sugar, then dry gelatin mix.
Beat cake mix, water and butter with whisk until blended; pour over rhubarb. Spread to completely cover rhubarb.
Bake 45 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm topped with COOL WHIP.

Complete honesty?  I don't really follow these instructions.  I put the rhubarb (and once, strawberries) in the bottom of the pan, put the sugar and Jell-o over it, mix up the cake according to the box, and bake according to the box.  It's been delicious!

Rhubarb Crunch

Ingredients

• 1 cup sifted flour
• ¾ cup oatmeal (uncooked)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 cups rhubarb, diced

Sauce

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

1. Mix the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, butter, and spice
2. Press half of the mixture into a pan
3. Add the rhubarb
4. In a saucepan add the sugar, cornstarch, water, and vanilla
5. Cook until thick and pour over the rhubarb
6. Top with the remaining oatmeal crumbs
7. Bake at 1 hour at 350 degrees

I usually do step #4 in the microwave...  Again, delicious recipe, tastes like my Mom's, best served warm with ice cream, delicious the next morning as breakfast.

Rhubarb Butter

The most recent rhubarb item I made was Rhubarb Butter.  I took a bunch of recipes, like this one, and basically made my own taking ideas from each recipe.

Here's how I made it:
6-7 ribs of rhubarb
2 cups (or so) of frozen strawberries (left over from making slushies)
an apple, cut up (one recipe said you can use applesauce instead - this is for the pectin)
3/4 cup maple syrup (or honey, or sugar, however you want to sweeten it)

I cooked all the fruit, plus a bit of water, down a bit, then used the immersion blender to turn it into a "slurry".  I put the "slurry" through my food mill, as I didn't want all the rhubarb strings and apple peel in it.  I do love my food mill, which I purchased in order to make tomato paste.  I put the "solid" from the food mill step into the compost.

half-blended

half-milled

Take your liquid from the food mill process, and reduce it on the cooktop, making sure you stir frequently.  I don't know if you should add your sweetener now or later, but don't add too much sweetener before it's at the desired consistency.  I made that decision and used way too much (the amount I wrong up above is how much I'll use in the future), next time I'll wait until the end to decide on sweetness.

One of the recipes I read said that it's at the desired consistency when it "sits up" on a spoon.  You may not even have to get it that far as it really gets thicker when it cools.  I put my rhubarb butter in a canning jar and into the fridge.  I did NOT can it as I knew it would be eaten quickly, but this is a product that can be canned.  I loved it and will make it again!  It reminds me of the Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce from Tastefully Simple.  I had it on ice cream (or, more accurately, ice cream sandwich), corn bread, brownie, and a spoon.  Delicious in every way!

Enjoy!