RHUBARB RECIPES

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 98, 19 January 1933, Page 4

RHUBARB RECIPES

Variety of Uses

The first young rhubarb, with its attractive colour and delicate flavour, comes as a welcome addition to the menu after the aridity of the winter months. Nothing looks nicer than a crystal bowl of the fruit, cooked carefully in lemon-flavoured syrup and served cool and inviting with little sponge cakes and cream, if you feel very extravagant. It is also excellent for bottling. Here are some especially appetising dishes: Rhubarb Sponge: Alake a sponge pudding, using only the yolks of the eggs, and bake. Cover with thick rhubarb puree, add meringue made from egg whites, and set in the oven. Rhubarb Shape: Cut up a pound of rhubarb into inch-long pieces and stew till tender in a pint of water and four or six ounces of sugar, according to taste. Alix 2Joz. of cornflour with a little water, add the juice of a lemon, the rhubarb syrup and another gill of cold water, and stir until boiling. Add the rhubarb (it can be rubbed through a sieve if liked), cook for five minutes more, tint with carmine, and set in a wetted mould.

Rhubarb Jelly: Cut a pound and a half of fruit into inch-long pieces, and cook in half a pint of water and four ounces of sugar until tender, then rub through a sieve. Measure, and if necessary make up to a pint with more water. Alelt an ounce of gelatine in a little water, stir it in, add colouring if required, and set in a border mould. Rhubarb Pie: Alake this in the American way for a change by cutting up your rhubarb to make three-quarters of a pint measure and scalding it first in boiling water. Alix together a beaten egg, two tablespoonfuls of flour and four ounces of caster sugar. Then add the rhubarb. Line a flat pie plate with pastry, fill with the mixture, cover with more pastry, and bake. Rhubarb Candy: Cut into lengths about 1J inches, and to each pound of fruit allow 11b. of sugar, cover the fruit well with the sugar and stand overnight; next day, pour oft the syrup and boil it up and then pour it back over the rhubarb, allow the rhubarb to stand another day, then repeat the process, allow the rhubarb to stand “once” more and then boil all together for five minutes. AVhen it is cold it should have the appearance of candied fruit. It may be eaten as a sweet with cream or custard.

Rhubarb, Fig, and Ginger Jam: Cut into small pieces Jib. of preserved ginger, wash and cut up 21b. of rhubarb and half a pound of stewing figs. Put the rhubarb, figs, and ginger into a pan and bring slowly to the boil, simmer for 1-hour, then add 21b. of loaf sugar, simmer and skim until the jam sets when a little is placed on a plate. Rhubarb Chutney: Take 21b. of rhubarb cut into inch lengths, put into a pan with Alb. of onions, cut small, Jib. of brown sugar, Jib. of stoned raisins, an ounce of curry powder, a quarter of a tcaspoonful of white pepper, and half the amount of cayenne. Pour over this a pint of vinegar, add three or four cloves, and simmer all together until it is a pulp. AVhen it is cold put into pots aud tic down.