# Strawberry Rhubarb Pie - rare in parts of the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006 "2013-11-28T15:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/41 "2013-11-30T02:02:11Z")
Rhubarb is one of the first things up in spring. I imagine for people without the luxury of produce available year round, the first fresh fruit pies of the year would have been rhubarb. As strawberries begin to ripen, but before there is a midsummer glut of them, and while the rhubarb is still growing well and before its flowered and gone all stringy, it seems that the next in the seasonal making of pies would be strawberry rhubarb. Delicious and a good way to make a few strawberries go a little further. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/42 "2013-11-30T02:31:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **bordelond** : > > If I pick up a random bunch of rhubarb next time I see some, is there anything quick & interesting I can do with it? Something quicker/dirtier than making a pie? Just so I can say “I’ve eaten rhubarb before”? My grandma’s rhubarb cobbler recipe is pretty easy: Layer in a 9x13 inch baking pan: 4 cups rhubarb, cut in 1 inch pieces 3/4 cup sugar 3 oz box strawberry Jello 2 cups white or yellow cake mix 1 cup water 1/3 cup melted margarine Bake at 350 F for about 50 minutes, serve warm. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/43 "2013-11-30T15:50:19Z")
You can just cut rhubarb into 1/2 inch chunks and simmer it in a 1/2- 1 cup of water till it falls apart into a puddinglike glop. Sugar to taste (lots). ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/44 "2013-12-01T05:07:51Z")
Rhubarb is difficult to grow the further south you go - prolonged high heat and humidity/lack of winter chill are problematic - though I hear it can be grown as an annual crop in mild winter areas. I finally got a mess of plants started from seed this past year and hopefully the crop will be impressive in a couple of years. Here’s [a rhubarb website](http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/home) with lots of recipes. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/45 "2013-12-01T05:28:05Z")
Just like to say that I wish they would stop cluttering up the worlds best pie flavor (rhubarb) with stupid strawberries. Re: OP - I live in Los Angeles. Not common, not unheard of. Fresh rhubarb is generally insanely expensive, I find frozen rhubarb (also not that easy to find) does the job just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Labor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Labor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labor)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/46 "2013-12-03T18:54:05Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Yet another reason not to like Mr. Smarmy Garrison Keillor; he and you are wrong about pies. Pumpkin Pie is the ne plus ultra of pies. The best pumpkin pie is lovingly spiced and the pumpkin custard is silky with just the right lightness; the worst pumpkin pie is still good. > > Pecan pie is an assault to the tastebuds. Nobody needs anything that sweet. > > Rhubarb is OK. I’ll eat it. But pumpkin pie is the best. > > 😃 Thems fight’n words! Pumpkin, you’re funny. No really, there is something wrong with you. Pecan pie is sweet, that’s why it is only prepared once a year. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/47 "2013-12-03T18:58:53Z")
I’ve never had it, but I’ve heard of it. I’ve never noticed it on a menu around here. Possibly it was and I just didn’t see it. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/48 "2013-12-03T19:35:01Z")
SE Ohio growing up. I remember seeing rhubarb pies all the time, though for some reason I never tried it. It seems like it’s been a while since I saw it, and now I’m in California and can’t remember seeing it ever. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/49 "2013-12-03T19:35:57Z")
Heck, all of my life, my aunts have been telling me just how gross pecan pie is. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized that they were just trying to save more for themselves. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/50 "2013-12-03T20:21:56Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’m looking at one right now, hot out of the oven. I hate you. My Wife gets them at Kroger, in Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna25](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@Johanna25](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna25)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/51 "2013-12-03T20:36:36Z")
As Mr.Labor explained, rhubarb doesn’t grow well in the south, though you can buy it at the supermarket. We have a lot of transplanted Northerners here in coastal North Carolina and some people do grow it more or less as an annual from imported roots. One of our neighbors always brings a crate back from his family in the midwest. I love it myself. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/52 "2013-12-03T20:56:19Z")
Rhubarb pie and strawberry-rhubarb pies are both delicious. Besides, Fox’s football commentators are all idiots about football, let alone about pies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/53 "2013-12-03T21:09:53Z")
I’m in NC. . . never had it. . . or seen it as far as I know. Never heard it mentioned in conversation. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/54 "2013-12-03T21:45:42Z")
I grew up in Virginia and we had it, it’s my favorite pie. My mom was from outside of Chicago, so maybe she introduced it to our family. I didn’t know everyone hasn’t had it. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006/55 "2013-12-04T02:12:27Z")
The combination is unknown in Britain. Anyway, rhubarb is more common in Rhubarb Crumble than in pie. The very best way to eat Crumble, including Apple Crumble, is to eschew any sort of custard or addition, carefully separate the stewed rhubarb or apple on the plate and eat the crumble. The fruit can be later discarded in the garden or down the drain. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strawberry-rhubarb-pie-rare-in-parts-of-the-us/675006.md?page=2)