A Sea Of Red

My wife has never heard of this so I'm trying to make her a pie. Little did I know that it is not sold in any grocery store or Walmart around here that I've been in. And I've been looking for it for a while. Fresh or pie filling in a can will do. Anybody have any ideas or have seen it somewhere in the area?

Also, is this a Northern thing? I thought if anything in would be a Southern thing but based on it's availablity around here apparently not. So anyway, I'd really like some rhubarb pie so if anybody could help me out with that.

hmm apparently it's a northern thing.

6.1 - Climate and Growing Region
Rhubarb is a cool season, perennial crop. It requires temperatures below 40­ F to break dormancy and to stimulate spring growth and summer temperatures averaging less than 75­ F for vigorous vegetative growth. The Northern U.S. and Canada are well suited for rhubarb production. In the United states it grows best in the northern states from Maine south to Illinois and west to Washington state. Once planted, rhubarb plantings remain productive for 8 to 15 years.

In the United States, commercial production is concentrated in Washington (275 Acres), Oregon (200 Acres), and Michigan (200 Acres), with small commercial acreage in many northern states field and greenhouse forced production. A good commercial yield is 15 tons and an exceptional yield is about 18 tons. Red varieties usually yield about 50% of the green types; however, if the crop is harvested twice in one year, total yields will increase about 50%.


Figure 6.1: Field of Rhubarb
Photo Credit


Rhubarb can not be very successfully grown in the southern regions of the United States, although there are exceptions (see Growing Rhubarb as an annual). Rhubarb is a popular garden vegetable in northern areas of the United States but unfortunately will not do well in hot, dry summers of the south. If it survives the heat it will not grow well will produce only thin leaf stalks which are spindly and lack color. Rhubarb will wilt very quickly on hot days (over 90­ F). There has been mention of an unknown variety of rhubarb with large green petioles that thrives in the Panhandle north of Amarillo (Texas). 2 3 4

but still. They don't grow bannanas around here and we still get them. Get on the ball Virginia!

ahhhhh- rhubarb.

My grandmother and mother were always the rhubarb queens. It grows in a stalk-type formation, much like celery.

Not only is it used in pies, it is often cut into small pieces, stewed and served hot or cold as a dessert.

It can be quite "tart" so is often seasoned/sweetened with sugar. I would think you could get it at the local supermarkent, but if you have a "Freshfield's" or similar organic type store your chances might be better.

Do you guys have a Whole Foods? I know they have tons of rhubarb.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the pie. But to each his own.

not that I know of. A few of the stores here do have a natural foods section. I guess I'll check those. It doesn't make sense though, it just a regular vegtable. And it's not like it's some rare asian wonder plant. I guess there's just no demand for it.

There's a Whole Foods in Charlottesville, on 29.

If you had a Whole Foods, you would know it. I guess you really need a large produce department these days to meet everyone's demands.

try these places. maybe they can help.

"Health Nut Nutrition" in Wyndhurst.

Fresh Air Natural Foods on Old Forest Rd.

magnolia foods in Boonsboro.

As stated in another thread, Mr.Mc was driving for a co. that delivered from a Whole Food Warehouse in CT. He got rhubarb once and made some good pies (I despise the use of Crisco in the pasrty now that I've been reading abt. hydrogenated oils, etc. He was such a good man- found a butter recipe; it's harder to get it to turn out just right, but I was impressed.) Often rhubarb is combined with strawberry to cut the tartness. (Guys he worked with had never tried it either, exclaiming, "What the h... is that?")