Hello,
I went to by some strawberry rhubarb at the market. I found rhubarb and asked if it was strawberry rhubarb. The associate said he didn't know what variety rhubarb it was, but pointed me to strawberries. That didn't make much sense because strawberries will overpower anything you combine them with. But the recipe I had noted that while strawberry rhubarb makes the best pie, you can use any variety. So I bought what they had and the pie was great!! Do people really use rhubarb as filler in strawberry pie, and if so, why waste the rhubarb?
Thanks for your input,
Bill
Hello,
There really isn't much difference in taste. I have tested the difference a couple of times at family functions. I never make pies without strawberry rhubarb, but I usually mix the varieties that I grow. On the occasions that I made one with just strawberry rhubarb, it was slightly prefered to the ones with mixed varieties. I don't notice much difference. I always get several requests for rhubarb pie for any parties. Of course if you add strawberries, you mask the rhubarb so it couldn't make a difference. I tried a rhubarb pie with strawberries and there is no comparison. Strawberries are much better left to dip in chocolate or for shortcakes.
Thanks,
Bill
Yes, strawberry-rhubarb pie is delicious and much loved by some. The sweetness of the berries balances the sourness of the rhubarb. Neither fruit is "wasted."
To me "strawberry-rhubarb" pie, etc. has always meant the two mixed together. I loved it as a kid, and as an adult I've come to assume the strawberries were meant to mellow out the rhubarb (which can be an intense flavor if one is not used to it, hence the popularity of the combination in the U.S. where rhubarb is not as widely known).
Hello,
It seems that you make a good point. While rhubarb pie is much better, there are some people that have never actually tried one without strawberries. I have canned rhubarb that I put up each spring because I would be chastised if I didn't bring rhubarb pies to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
Bill
Hi there,
I disagree that rhubarb pie is much better but I definitely respect your opinion. Does it not get too sour with just rhubarb and no strawberries? I also think strawberry-rhubarb pie is much more common. When you search "rhubarb pie", 1/3 of the recipes are strawberry-rhubarb pie. Yet when you search strawberry-rhubarb pie, the whole page is different recipes of the same thing.
Strawberry Red is just one variety of red rhubarb. Most people just identify rhubarb as red or green, so I’m not surprised the sales associate didn’t know it. Red rhubarbs are supposed to be milder and sweeter, but I think people mostly just like the color. Hard-core red rhubarb lovers usually go for even more vivid varieties like Crimson Red or Cherry Red. I like the sourer kinds and don’t mind the pie being less colorful.
This question puzzled me until I did some research, because never in my life before had I heard of a variety of rhubarb plants called "strawberry rhubarb" for sale until now. Tho I can see why a seller might use it as a marketing pitch for a red rhubarb despite the confusion it causes. In my experience the term (strawberry rhubarb) has always denoted a pie, jam or other food that combines the two fruits. I think rhubarb tends to get combined because it adds tartness to sweeter fruits and also to enhance its rather drab green color. To me this is a disaster, I prefer traditional rhubarb to all other pies (tho the little pink nubs at the bottom of the stalk add a nice color contrast) which the addition of sickly sweet cooked strawberry does not improve it in the least. If you want to add color, and a complementary flavor nuance, sour cherries are quite a nice combo with rhubarb.
I enjoy rhubarb pie, strawberry-rhubarb pie and peach-rhubarb pie equally. Using equal amounts of rhubarb and fruit guarantees one won’t eclipse the other. We grow our own rhubarb and the only varieties we can get are all green. I’m not big on the cosmetic appeal of pie fillings, but sometimes I wish our cooked rhubarb didn’t look so much like mucus!
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