Saturday, May 22, 2010

"Rhubarb Sauce is one of my Favorites!"




Prior to leaving Minnesota this past week, my sister Melissa packed one of my suitcases full of Rhubarb. This plant has always been a favorite with Norwegians and represents one of the first plants the sprout in the Spring.

Rhubarb is a very old plant. Its medicinal uses go back to 2700 BC when it was cultivated in China. It was not introduced into Europe until the 1600's. A planting of rhubarb is recorded in Italy in 1608 and 20-30 years later in Europe. In 1778 rhubarb is recorded as a food plant in Europe. The earliest known usage of rhubarb as a food appeared as a filling for tarts & pies.

In making my Rhubarb sauce, I use a simple sugar recipe which consists of two cups of water to one of sugar. Use a large pan, and then bring to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Then, in a slow simmer, add about three cups plus of coarsely chopped rhubarb and simmer until the rhubarb has collapsed into a mass of stringy goop. If you are looking for a little more coloration, I would suggest adding strawberries into the mix, too.

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