Rhubarb Pie: A Delicious Spring Treat

There was a time when the arrival of spring meant mom's delicious rhubarb pie. Those days are gone, and today we do not hear much about rhubarb pie.

Rhubarb is a fragile vegetable that does not lend itself well to mass production, long transit times to make it to the produce section of the supermarket. It is typically available only a short time and is very expensive, if you can find it at all. Perhaps this is why rhubarb fell out of popularlity along with the delicious rhubarb pie.

Today more and more people are growing vegetables in their backyards. Maybe it is time to bring back the rhubarb plant to our gardens and the deliciously pink rhubarb pie to our kitchen and dining room tables!

I found this recipe for rhubarb pie stuck inside a magazine that came from my Aunt Madaline's house. The magazine was dated November 1, 1959, so this newspaper clipping could have been in there a long time!

I did a little detective work to try to figure out something more about this vintage rhubarb pie recipe. On the back of the clipping is a grocery advertisement that lists 2 bars of Dial soap for 33 cents, a 7 ounce can of Pledge Wax for 89 cents and a regular size bottle of Joy for 39 cents. There is also an ad for a tv show called Johnny Midnight. According to Wikipedia, this show was only on the air one year, from January to December 1960.

If you can get your hands on some rhubarb, why not give this rhubarb pie recipe a try? It's mighty good!

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Make the Pastry

You will need:

2 cups sifted flour

2/3 cup vegetable shortening

3 to 5 tablespoons of cold water

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Mix lightly and sprinkle with cold water until the dough starts sticking together. Divide the dough in half.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and press together. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the pie filling.

Rhubarb Pie Filling

5 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced (about 2 pounds)

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

dash of salt

To make the filling, combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Assemble the Rhubarb Pie

Roll out each half of the dough to make a circle that is 1/8 inch thick. Line a 9-inch pie pan with one of the pastry circles. Fill with the rhubarb pie filling and dot with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.

Cut a design in the second pastry circle for the top crust, or cut into strips to make a lattice top. Arrange this over the filling. Trim and flute the edges of the pie.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 40 minutes more, or until pie is golden brown and bubbly.

Serve rhubarb pie a la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If you are looking at a bumper crop of rhubarb this season, you might want to pick up a cookbook or two, with plenty of delicious rhubarb recipes. It's not just for pie, you know! Rhubarb is a versatile vegetable that can be made into preserves, cakes, muffins and all kinds of scrumptious dishes.

If you do not want to make your own rhubarb pie filling, then you can purchase it already made. Just empty one of these jars of filling into a pie crust and bake for a delicious, old-fashioned dessert that is sure to delight your family and friends.

If you would prefer to have your pie already made, you can get this one shipped straight to your door. It arrives frozen, packed in dry ice in a styrofoam cooler.

Watch as this Mom demonstrates how to make rhubarb pie filling. It's so easy!

Rhubarb Fruit...

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