Evening star., 1935-04-27
.Rhubarb as
AriStOCrat
InNeW Role
May Form Base for
Many Varieties of
Marmalade.
Star Stan Photo.
BY EDITH NJ. BARBER.


RHUBARB is one of our common
~ foods which has ascended in the
social scale since it has discarded its
alias of "pie-plant." Even "a the
present and finer state of this product,
with its tender and colorful stalks.
/ do not believe it is as mich appre-
! ciated as it was once upoE time
when the arrival of Spring brought
us fresh rhubarb grown i'll every tack
! yard in small towns.
/ Fruit in Winter was then Winter
luxury, not the ordinary part of diet
as it is today, and this fruit-like vege-
table was more than welcomed when
1t made its appearance. Most of this
back yard product was rather tough
and more acid than the cultivated
variety We get today. The first stalks
were pink but not the brilliant 'rhu-
barb pink" which We now expect to
get The stalks usually needed to be
peeled and that took away much Of
whatever natural color was present.
The first rhubarb to come in the
market in the middle of our Winter
is grown in hothouSes or cellars in
partial darkness Then comes the
hot-bed rhubarb-grown in the fields
under steam heated hot beds. Now
We are getting the unforced product
from nearby gardens.
Old-fashioned recipes for cooking
rhubarb call for scaldng it before
cooking to remove the strong acid.
This. is. Of course, not necessary now.
l like to cook it either in a double
boiler or in q casserole without any
water. I add the sugar to the stalks,
which have been cut in inch pieces,
| cover it and cook it until tender.
Every bit of the lovely color is pre-
served in this way and SO Is the
shape of the pieces.
Besides the well-knovn pie and
sauce, rhubarb can be used with a
rich biscuit dough to serve as a
shortcake. IT is delicious made into
Brown Betty or into a bread and
butter pudding. The sauce can be
elaborated by the addition of raisins
during the cooking or of sliced
oranges or bananas after it is chilled
and ready to serve.
Rhubarb makes an inexpensive base
for number of different marmalades
which are good to serve in the Winter
with meat or to make up into sand
| wicheS.
There is just one warning as to the
use Of rhubarb. Don't let any one
persuade you to be thrifty and Use
the tender. young leaves for green's.
During the war this was advised by
thrifty but unscientific food con-
server and some cases OF illness from
the oxalic acid In the leaves resulted.
The acid In the stalk Is 50 mild that
1t is not factor.
Baked Rhubarb Pudding.
Six thin slices Of bread. Butter.
One bunch rhubarb. One cup sugar.
Butter the slices Of bread on the
loaf before cutting and line q buttere>
baking dish with the buttered side Of
the bread toward the dish. Fill with
rhubarb and sugar, cover with bread
and bake in @ moderate oven, 375
degrees Fahrenheit. half an hour III
rhubarb is very acid more sugar may
be needed)
Rhubarb Marmalade.
Four cups 1.-TWO pounds) finely
chopped rhubarb. One lemon. One
orange. One cup water. Seven and
one-half cups sugar. One bottle fruit
pectin.
Combine chopped rhubarb and
grated rind of lemon and rind and
Juice Of orange. Put In large kettle,
add water and sugar, mix. and bring
to a full rolling boil over hottest fire.
Stir constantly before and while boil
ing. Boil gently minutes. Remove
from fire and stir IN pectin. Skim;
pour quickly. Cover hot marmalade
with hlm of hot paraffin. When mar
malade Is cold, cover with Il inch of
hot paraffin. Roll glass to spread
parafdn on sides.
Rhubarb Brown Betty.
Three cups sifted bread crumbs.
Three cups diced rhubarb. Two table
spoons butter. One and one-half cups
sugar.
Mix crumbs with melted butter and
arrange in layers with rhubarb and
sugar in buttered baking dish. Bake
about half an hour In Q moderate
oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit, until
fruit Is soft and crumbs ore brown.