How to Make Excellent Rhubarb Pie

Make your rhubarb pie stand out.

There's no better way to welcome spring than with a good, old-fashioned rhubarb pie. The tart stalks add a nice complement to other fruits such as strawberries, but standalone well on their own in a pie. Whether you have a backyard garden full of the plant or picked some up at your grocery store, whipping up an excellent pie requires just a few ingredients.

Things You'll Need

• FOR THE FILLING
• 8 cups rhubarb cut in 1-inch chunks
• 3 cups sugar
• 12 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• FOR THE CRUST
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 6 to 8. tbsp ice cold water

Instructions

1. Put the rhubarb chunks, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl. Toss to coat and let sit for about an hour, giving it a toss a few times during that hour. This will draw a little of the moisture out of the rhubarb to get the sugar to dissolve a little.

2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

3. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well.

4. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs and will hold together if pinched.

5. Work the dough as little as possible, just until moistened, using gentle stirring motions -- never beat or mash. It should begin to hold together in big lumps as you stir. The more you handle it, the tougher it will be, so don't over-handle it.

6. Mix the vinegar into the cold water. Spoon 5 to 6 tbsps. of the vinegar-water mix over the flour mixture. With a fork, gently stir to moisten. If there is still a lot of dry material after a few stirs, add a couple more tablespoons of the vinegar water. Stir again. Repeat adding water if needed. When all the dry bits are gone and seem to be holding together into larger clumps, your dough is ready. Gather together the clumps to form a ball with your hands. Again, handle as little as possible. Divide in half.

7. Sprinkle flour all over the surface you will be rolling your dough out on. Pick up half of the dough. Form into a flattened circle and place on the floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour to prevent the rolling pin from sticking. Roll out, from the center outward, in all directions, to form a circle. Add more flour if sticking is a problem. Place your pie pan on top of the dough to check for size. The circle should be at least an inch and a half larger in diameter than the pie pan.

8. To pick up your dough and place it on the pie pan, place your rolling pin on one edge. Gently lift up the edge of the dough and lay it over the top of your rolling pin. Roll your pin a bit so that the dough rolls up over the top of it. When you have about half of the dough lifted up, put your pie pan underneath it and then lay the dough into the pie pan. Position the dough so that it is centered in the pan. Adjust the dough so that it sits on the pan and is not lifted up anywhere.

9. Pour your rhubarb mixture into the prepared pie pan. It will be piled in very high. Press it down a bit with a spoon to compress the mixture down a bit.

10. Roll out the top crust just as you did before. Place it on the top of the filling, draping it over the edge of the pie pan. Gather the edges of both crusts, tucking the top one under the bottom one, and roll them up to fit the edge of the pan. Press together to seal and flute the edge with your fingers. Cut several slits in the top to vent.

11. Place your pie on a foil lined cookie sheet to catch any spills or drips. Place pie in the center of the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Your pie should be bubbly, not dry-looking, and your crust should be golden to light brown.

Tips & Warnings

• For More detailed instructions on making an excellent pie crust, with pictures for all of the steps, See my article in the Resources below.