Spring has finally sprung in the upper Midwest and that means it’s Rhubarb season! Rhubarb is one of my favorite seasonal treats, so I look forward to the rhubarb growing season every year. I love the tart stalks raw and dipped in sugar; I love them baked in pies and custards; and I even have a few savory dishes that I like to make with rhubarb. Rhubarb, although most often is featured in desserts with a lot of sugar and butter, is also a good source of calcium, vitamin C, and fiber.
If you have found yourself with more rhubarb than your arms can carry, I have a few tips on how to store this delicious red and green vegetable for later use. (Yes…even though we use it like a fruit, it is actually a vegetable.)
When you pick your rhubarb, you can store it one of two ways:
- Fresh rhubarb can be stored for up to one week as long as the leaves are removed and you do not wash the stalks. Just wrap the stalks in plastic wrap and store them in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.
- You can freeze the rhubarb by washing and slicing the stalks into 1-inch segments. Store it in a freezer plastic bag for up to 6 months in your deep freezer. (It usually does not last that long in our house!)
Today I am going to share with you two of my favorite rhubarb dessert recipes. The first recipe I am sharing is for a Rhubarb Dump Dessert. I would call it a dump cake, but it doesn’t really take on the texture of a cake. The smell of this dessert baking in the oven is sure to get everyone in the house making a loop or two through the kitchen to see where “that really good smell” is coming from. Aside from the smells and the taste of this delightful treat, it can also be put together and ready to bake before your oven is even done preheating!
Rhubarb Dump Dessert
8 cups of rhubarb, sliced one inch (fresh or frozen)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I use a vanilla “crush” extract that has vanilla bean seeds in it)
1 box yellow cake mix
1.5 sticks butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced rhubarb with sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Stir until the rhubarb is coated. Pour the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan. (Just spread any sugar remaining in the bottom of the bowl evenly around the pan) Top the rhubarb mixture with the dry yellow cake mix and then use a spoon to distribute the butter over the top of the cake mix, trying to get it around to all the areas of the cake topping.
Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes, or until the rhubarb is bubbling and the cake mix is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with vanilla ice cream over the top. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
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