Rhubarb Pie

[yorkshirepud]

JanKK, I baked up some rhubarb this past weekend. I did a Rhubarb Custard Pie from the Pie & Pastry Bible. Yummo! Not very attractive though. Here's a piccie:

I'm still debating on what to make which is typical for me!

[iguana]

How much sugar and thickening do y'all use in your respective rhubarb pies? I have some rhubarb from the farmers market and no strawberries, so I was going to give the solo rhubarb thing a go. I imagine it needs a touch more sugar without the strawberries, but then we like sour.

[TrishCT]

How much sugar and thickening do y'all use in your respective rhubarb pies? I have some rhubarb from the farmers market and no strawberries, so I was going to give the solo rhubarb thing a go. I imagine it needs a touch more sugar without the strawberries, but then we like sour.

If you decide to do an all rhubarb pie with tapioca as the thickening agent, on the back of the minute tapioca box is a chart that gives amounts of sugar and tapioca. Since the box's recipe calls for an equal ratio of strawberries to rhubarb, you can just double the amount of rhubarb called for, I reckon. I would use the recommended amount of sugar or less. I find the sugar amount listed is generally too high. Also consider trying the pastry cream or rhubarb cream versions mentioned in this thread because they give extra contrast to plain rhubarb.

[JanKK]

Well, here's the results of the Rhubarb Cream Pie. Pie plate size wasn't listed in the recipe and I think I used one slightly larger than standard, because 3 cups of rhubarb just wasn't enough. So ...I added another 1 1/2 cups and more filling :) Tried a lattice crust (just because I'd never done one) and it didn't turn out too bad ....except the cream filling bubbled a little between the lattices and made little warts :) And then, of course, because I used the bigger plate, my pie ring wouldn't fit and the edges got a little dark.

Of course, the real proof will be tomorrow when we eat it ....stay tuned! ;)

[JanKK]

And Adele ...attractive isn't everything ....if it tastes good, that's what counts!

[yorkshirepud]

JanKK, that looks great to me! Did you use the RLB recipe? I thought it was a little skimpy on the rhubarb too.

I agree about 'attractive' not being everything. The taste made up for it.

[JanKK]

JanKK, that looks great to me! Did you use the RLB recipe? I thought it was a little skimpy on the rhubarb too.

I agree about 'attractive' not being everything. The taste made up for it.

Nope...I used the recipe Trish posted. And it appears I must've done something wrong .....because I just went to cut a piece and it's more like Rhubarb soup than Rhubarb pie :::sigh::: Tasty --but did not set up at all :/

Oh well...back to the drawing board. (or should I say the cutting board? ;)

[yorkshirepud]

JanKK, that looks great to me!  Did you use the RLB recipe?  I thought it was a little skimpy on the rhubarb too.

I agree about 'attractive' not being everything.  The taste made up for it.

Nope...I used the recipe Trish posted. And it appears I must've done something wrong .....because I just went to cut a piece and it's more like Rhubarb soup than Rhubarb pie :::sigh::: Tasty --but did not set up at all :/

Oh well...back to the drawing board. (or should I say the cutting board? ;)

Do you think perhaps the extra rhubarb created too much liquid and the eggs couldn't bind it all?

What a bummer!

[JanKK]

Do you think perhaps the extra rhubarb created too much liquid and the eggs couldn't bind it all?

What a bummer!

It's certainly possible. Although I did add an extra egg and flour and sugar too. It did have a great flavor ....it just looked nasty.

Of course, I was most annoyed with the whole thing ...so I pitched it. The people at work said I shouldn't have done that .....they would've been happy to just dig in with a spoon ;)

[TrishCT]

Jan, What a shame, I've had that pie many times and the texture was always pleasantly creamy. I'll run the issue by my mother-in-law when I see her this weekend. She may even be making one...if so I'll take pictures.

[JanKK]

Jan, What a shame, I've had that pie many times and the texture was always pleasantly creamy. I'll run the issue by my mother-in-law when I see her this weekend. She may even be making one...if so I'll take pictures.

Thanks, Trish ...I would appreciate any advice she can offer.

It may well have been my monkeying with the quantities ...although I tried to increase everything equally. I also may not have baked it long enough ...it said 40-50 minutes, I baked it 40. I get nervous when I smell burning edges and it seems to LOOK done ;)

It really did have a very nice flavor and I wouldn't mind trying again!

[eatrustic]

TrishCT - I made your Rhubarb Cream Pie last night and I followed the directions to the letter (well almost). The inside was moist and pleasantly soft.

I think the problem with JanKK's version was a combination of bumping up the quantities and baking it at 425 F for the full baking time. I turned mine down after about 15 minutes to 375 as I would do for a normal pie. With the addition of the eggs I would think that they would curdle at the higher temperature and make everything soggy. Also the eggs shouldn't go into the sugar mixture until the last minute otherwise the large amount of sugar could "cook" the eggs.

I didn't really get a "pleasantly creamy" look, rather you could see the creamy bits in amongst the rhubarb (but not curdled). I must confess though that when I reset my timer for the second time it did not start and although the pie looked fine it may have been in longer than the planned 20 minutes.

The last adjustment I would make is the sugar, the sweetness level reminds me of my mother's Rhubarb Pie. I love her pies when she makes them at home because of the childhood memories but it is too sweet for me. I would take out a 1/4c. - 1/3c of the sugar and see how that goes.

I'm working my way through adding photos to my posts and hope to do so soon as there is nothing like a picture to put everyone on the same playing field description wise.

[mantee]

I add a package of spice waffer's (the orange box). Love the taste of ginger.

[phlfour]

Here is Grandma Hilda's use for all the **** rhubarb, as she would put it.

Rhubarb Sauce

2 pounds rhubarb stalks (washed, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces)

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/4 cup sherry

1/4 cup water

Put the rhubarb into a sturdy saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon and orange zest, sherry and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat...cool and reserve, refrigerated.

PL

[TrishCT]

TrishCT - I made your Rhubarb Cream Pie last night and I followed the directions to the letter (well almost). The inside was moist and pleasantly soft.

I think the problem with JanKK's version was a combination of bumping up the quantities and baking it at 425 F for the full baking time. I turned mine down after about 15 minutes to 375 as I would do for a normal pie. With the addition of the eggs I would think that they would curdle at the higher temperature and make everything soggy. Also the eggs shouldn't go into the sugar mixture until the last minute otherwise the large amount of sugar could "cook" the eggs.

I didn't really get a "pleasantly creamy" look, rather you could see the creamy bits in amongst the rhubarb (but not curdled). I must confess though that when I reset my timer for the second time it did not start and although the pie looked fine it may have been in longer than the planned 20 minutes.

The last adjustment I would make is the sugar, the sweetness level reminds me of my mother's Rhubarb Pie. I love her pies when she makes them at home because of the childhood memories but it is too sweet for me. I would take out a 1/4c. - 1/3c of the sugar and see how that goes.

I'm working my way through adding photos to my posts and hope to do so soon as there is nothing like a picture to put everyone on the same playing field description wise.

Eatrustic, I look forward to seeing your pictures.

Jan, I spoke with mother-in-law, and she agrees with Eatrustic. This recipe is for a 9 inch pie and does not double well. Sorry that wasn't clear in the original recipe. She thinks it was too much filling in one pie.

Onward and upward rhubarb lovers!

[JanKK]

Jan, I spoke with mother-in-law, and she agrees with Eatrustic. This recipe is for a 9 inch pie and does not double well. Sorry that wasn't clear in the original recipe. She thinks it was too much filling in one pie.

Thanks, Trish ..I apppreciate the info!

[JennotJenn]

My grandma just sent me a bunch of rhubarb (with a promise to send a clump of it to plant once we close on our house). I like it with strawberries and without. However, with strawberries, I like them uncooked. There's a recipe in the Pie and Pastry Bible that's essentially a plain rhubarb pie with a fresh (macerated in sugar but uncooked) strawberry pie on top. Really yummy, with the bright sweetness of the fresh strawberries complementing the bright tartness of the rhubarb. Magical.

I'm probably going to turn this batch into a plain rhubarb and pastry cream napoleon.

[jgarner53]

All this talk of rhubarb pie got me hankering for one. My stupid mega-lo-mart supermarket didn't have any! But at my usual weekly visit to the nearby product market, they did . I bought close to 3 lbs. of it.

I mostly followed the recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb pie in Baking Illustrated, but as I'm one of those who doesn't like cooked strawberries, I swapped out the 1 1/2 lbs. of strawberries and did all rhubarb instead and added a little more sugar to accommodate the tartness of the rhubarb. I probably should have added more arrowroot, too (another hard to find ingredient!) as it came out just a little bit runny. I also used lemon zest instead of orange zest (didn't have any oranges).