Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (2024)

Vintage rhubarb recipes your great grandma made ~ from crumbles and pies, to cordials and fools ~ and they’re ready for a delicious comeback!

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (1)

vintage rhubarb recipes

Rhubarb is easy to grow and there are rhubarb patches in backyards all over America hitting their stride right now. With the proper care, it can produce from April right through fall. Rhubarb is also one of the first crops available in the spring, which helps explain why there are so many beloved rhubarb recipes out there.

Rhubarb is often paired with sweet strawberries to balance out its famously tart taste but in these classic recipes rhubarb is the star. The flavor is sour if you try to eat it raw, but cooked rhubarb mellows out and has a berry-like flavor that so many of us (raising hand!) find irresistible.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (2)

Rhubarb was definitely more popular in the past century than it is now, particularly during the early to mid-1900s. In fact, during World War II, rhubarb became an important crop because it was hardy and could grow in less than ideal conditions. Our grandmas and great-grandmas treasured their rhubarb recipes but so many of them have been forgotten. Here are just a few of the best.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (3)

Rhubarb Ice Cream

Rhubarb ice cream has been around for many years and was particularly popular in the early 1900s when ice cream parlors were in their heyday. It’s since been eclipsed by modern ice cream flavors, but the tart flavor is definitely one you need to try.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (4)

Rhubarb Jelly

Rhubarb jelly is a great way to ‘spring-i-fy’ your morning toast or scone. But did you know it was also a dessert? It was especially popular in the early to mid-20th century, when jellies and other molded desserts were in vogue.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (5)

Rhubarb Curd

Silky rhubarb curd is a throwback to traditional British farmhouse cooking where every last stalk of rhubarb would have been used in pies and preserves like this one.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (6)

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Crunch

Rhubarb crunch is a dessert that is similar to a crisp or a crumble. It is made with a layer of diced rhubarb on the bottom, topped with a mixture of oats, flour, sugar, and butter. When baked, the topping becomes crispy and golden brown, while the rhubarb becomes soft and tender.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (7)

Rhubarb Cordial

This old time tipple is easily made by infusing cooked rhubarb with vodka. The traditional way is to let the mixture sit for about a month. My way is faster and I think produced better rhubarb flavor ~ give it a try!

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (8)

Rhubarb Fool

This vintage rhubarb recipe has been around since the 1600s! Basically you fold cooked rhubarb into whipped cream and you’ve done it! It’s light and refreshing, but obviously rich at the same time. All in all, rhubarb fool is a fabulous spring dessert that takes hardly any effort at all.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (9)

Rhubarb Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake doesn’t hold a candle to rhubarb shortcake! How could it? Rhubarb brings its famously tart berry flavor to the party and makes this dessert even more irresistible.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (11)

Rhubarb Butter

Rhubarb butter is a sweet spread made from cooked rhubarb that is blended to a smooth, buttery consistency. It concentrates the unique flavor of rhubarb

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (12)

Rhubarb Bars

Gorgeously pink and tangy rhubarb curd bars are right off the church bazaar bake sale table, where they’re always to first to disappear.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (13)

No Bake Rhubarb Dream Bars

You won’t find anything like these rhubarb dream bars at a restaurant or a bakery, they’re the kind of thing your grandma would whip up on a summer afternoon — they have a simple, vintage charm.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (14)

Rhubarb Bread

Old fashioned rhubarb bread is a tender quick bread loaded with sweet tart nuggets of fruit. Grandma would have offered you a slice the minute you walked into her kitchen.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (15)

Rhubarb Pudding Cake

This recipe dates back to the 1930s and is a delicious combination of tangy rhubarb and sweet cake. If you’ve had my Warm Lemon Pudding Cake you’ll have the idea. The one below is from Seasons & Suppers.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (16)

Rhubarb Custard Pie

This is a classic American dessert that was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is made by lining a pie crust with stewed rhubarb, then pouring a custard mixture over the top and baking until set. The Lemon Apron’s version is below.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (17)

Rhubarb Grunt

This is one classic rhubarb dessert recipe that definitely stands the test of time, from Boulder Locavore.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (18)

Rhubarb Pie

Garnish and Glaze’s rhubarb pie has a gorgeous old time style lattice crust.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (19)

Pickled Rhubarb

A super simple pickled rhubarb recipe from Autumn Giles’ Beyond Canning. If you love ‘quickles’, check out my How To Quick Pickle (almost) Anything tutorial.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (20)

Rhubarb wine

The University of Vermont sustainable food systems program shares this easy method for making old time rhubarb wine. I like it because you don’t need any special wine making equipment.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (21)

Sugar Rhubarb

Eating raw rhubarb dipped in sugar is a traditional practice, especially among children, in the Northern United States, Canada, and Scandinavian countries. In Sweden it’s known as “rabarberpaj,” or rhubarb pie.

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (22)

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (23)

Sugar Rhubarb

5 from 6 votes

Nostalgic rhubarb recipes you'll want to try this spring!

Print RecipePin RecipeRate Recipe

Prep Time:5 minutes minutes

Total Time:5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1

Ingredients

  • 1 stalk raw rhubarb, washed
  • sugar for dipping

Instructions

  • Rinse your rhubarb and trim both ends. Be sure to trim off all the leaves, as they are toxic.

  • Dip the ends of the rhubarb into the sugar and enjoy! Double dipping is encouraged 🙂

NEW FEATURE! Click here to add your own private notes.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: dessert, rhubarb, spring

Nutrition

Serving: 1 stalk · Calories: 27 kcal · Carbohydrates: 7 g · Protein: 0.5 g · Fat: 0.1 g · Saturated Fat: 0.03 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02 g · Sodium: 2 mg · Potassium: 147 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin A: 52 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 44 mg · Iron: 0.1 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at @theviewfromgreatisland for a chance to be featured.

still want more vintage rhubarb recipes?

Explore Similar Articles in:

  • Desserts
  • Mother's Day
  • Recipe Collections
  • Spring
Rhubarb

Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes • from crumble to fool! (2024)

FAQs

What takes the tartness out of rhubarb? ›

Although it can be eaten raw, rhubarb tends to be too tart this way, and it's usually best when cooked with plenty of sugar. It goes well with both ginger and strawberries.

Why is my rhubarb crumble soggy? ›

Why is my rhubarb crumble soggy? There might be a couple of reasons: - The rhubarb will start to release its juices as soon as its mixed with the sugar so only mix your fruit right before baking. - There's to much moisture in your fruit.

How do you keep rhubarb from being sour? ›

Removing the first layer of skin will take away its "rubbery taste" and bring out the stalk's most appealing flavors, and the brown sugar will temper the tartness.

Can you cook rhubarb crumble from frozen? ›

Cook from frozen in a pre-heated oven at about 180°C (Gas Mark 4) for about 30 minutes or until cooked thoroughly. Eat within 48 hours of cooking. A traditional rhubarb crumble freshly made in our own kitchen within the shop and then frozen.

What enhances the Flavour of rhubarb? ›

While cinnamon may be a more common spice to pair with rhubarb, citrusy, herbal cardamon lends a warm, citrusy note to a dish. A big pinch of ground cardamom can be added to any cake, pie, or compote, or you can simply add a little to the whipped cream you'll be topping your rhubarb dessert with.

How do you make rhubarb taste better? ›

Many suggest dipping the stalk in sugar or some other sweet, such as honey, maple syrup or agave nectar, to mellow its tartness a touch. Sprinkling diced rhubarb over yogurt or cereal is an option too.

How do you keep crumble topping crisp? ›

Butter, which encourages both browning and crispness, is the magic ingredient in getting your topping just right, so follow the recipe instructions. But if you feel your topping is still too dry and crumbly, (even for a crumble) add a bit more melted butter, a tablespoon at a time.

Can you overwork crumble? ›

Do not overwork it or the crumble will become heavy. Add in the demerara sugar until combined and spread over the fruit until completely covered. Bake for 35-50 mins until golden brown and bubbling, and the fruit is tender.

Do coffee grounds help rhubarb? ›

Incorporating coffee grounds into the soil around rhubarb plants can improve soil structure, promote microbial activity, and enhance overall plant health. Also, coffee grounds can help deter certain pests, such as slugs and snails, which may damage rhubarb foliage.

How to make rhubarb less tart? ›

Combine rhubarb with sugar to balance the flavor

In fact, it's so tart that rhubarb juice is practically impossible to drink when unsweetened. For this reason, coating rhubarb in sugar while baking and combining it with sugar work very well.

Can you sweeten rhubarb without sugar? ›

To keep it sugar free you could use a little stevia, for a low fructose option you could use either rice syrup or coconut nectar, or if you're a honey fan, a little raw honey would combine beautifully with the ginger and vanilla.

How to cook rhubarb without it going mushy? ›

Method. Put the rhubarb into a saucepan with the orange zest, juice, sugar and 2 tbsp water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 8 mins until the rhubarb is cooked but still holds its shape.

How long will rhubarb crumble keep in the fridge? ›

Rhubarb Crumble can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Can Rhubarb Crumble be frozen? Rhubarb Crumble can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months.

Can I freeze uncooked rhubarb crumble? ›

Absolutely! You can freeze the crumble baked, or unbaked. Our only suggestion would be to cook the rhubarb layer first to ensure it is cooked through when defrosted. The crumble might be a little liquidy than normal, but will still taste delicious.

How do you counteract Tartness? ›

How Do You Neutralize Sour Taste in Food? If a dish is too sour, add a little bit of sugar! Sweetness balances out sour flavors, so if something makes your mouth pucker, a dash of sugar may help soften the blow of the sour food.

What is the healthiest way to sweeten rhubarb? ›

To keep it sugar free you could use a little stevia, for a low fructose option you could use either rice syrup or coconut nectar, or if you're a honey fan, a little raw honey would combine beautifully with the ginger and vanilla.

Why is my rhubarb so sour? ›

Rhubarb is exceptionally sour, making it hard to eat raw or without sugar. The sour taste is mainly due to malic acid and oxalic acid — though forced rhubarb is much less sour than other varieties.

What makes rhubarb sweeter? ›

Rhubarb is usually known for its extremely sour flavor that's best tempered with a generous amount of sugar and other fruits to produce sweet stalks (check out these recipes for some inspo).

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Edwin Metz

Last Updated:

Views: 5935

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (58 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Edwin Metz

Birthday: 1997-04-16

Address: 51593 Leanne Light, Kuphalmouth, DE 50012-5183

Phone: +639107620957

Job: Corporate Banking Technician

Hobby: Reading, scrapbook, role-playing games, Fishing, Fishing, Scuba diving, Beekeeping

Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.