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11 January 2018 - Rude Barb


Rhubarb

The yummy, stalky, poisonous plant that your gam gam made pies out of.

Today's Almanac post is about Rhubarb Recipes!

How do you even take these things and turn them into delicious filling for pastry lined pie tins?

Let's check that

wika
wika


In China, rhubarb was used as medicine and is cited in the Divine Farmers Herb-Root Classic. This text was believed to be written between 200 and 250 A.D.

Rhubarb was most likely used as a laxative.


The poisonous characteristics of our favorite pie filling is Oxalic Acid that is a Nephrotoxic and Corrosive Acid. This is dangerous to kidney functions. It can cause at least kidney stones and at worst kidney failure, convulsions, and death.

Some leafy greens that do contain a small amount of oxalic acid are in very low amounts and can be minimized by the cooking process.
Rhubarb is special in that cooking does not remove most of the acid and the amounts present are high.

SO

With all that said

The best thing to do is get rhubarb stalks that have the leaves trimmed and ready to prep!

The recipe in our Almanac is for Oven Stewed Rhubarb!

1. Clean stalks and cut in 1 inch pieces
2. Grab a casserole dish and butter the bottom of the pan
3. Add a layer of sugar on top of that butter and top that with the cut rhubarb
4. Add another layer of sugar
5. Alternate layers of rhubarb and sugar, ending with a top layer of sugar
6. Let this stand a few hours or overnight. This draws out the juices from the rhubarb
7. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit only until the rhubarb is tender, about 20 minutes
8. When done add a few drops of Almond Extract before eating

I really don't know if I have ever had Rhubarb. My husband loves some rhubarb pie....and is still alive. So I guess I need to look for some in the coming season! 
Depending on your location you can begin to find fresh rhubarb in spring and again in summer.

When you have some you will have to comment on your rhubarb's purgative effects so we can test out our medical advice from above.

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