Back yard investment.

What do blueberries, rhubarb, and strawberries all have in common?

• Easy to grow in small areas
• Easy to prepare or freeze
• All provide an excellent return on investment.
• Great pies!

Living in the suburbs is not a reason for not having homegrown fruits and vegetables.  In fact, one of the biggest benefits to a small yard is the ability to putter out and pick yourself some fresh rhubarb for a pie or blueberries for your pancakes. 

Rhubarb.  Have you ever seen rhubarb growing?  It's pretty awesome stuff.  The leaves are huge and the bright red stocks are eye catching.  To harvest a stock you grab and pull.  I have landed on my behind many times pulling rhubarb but that's why you send the kids to do it as they will just laugh.  I have seen someone actually cut a piece off which I guess you can do but I think it's against the code.  The reason being that when you pull it out another stock can grow.  It is similar to pulling celery from the outside. 

Strawberries.  This year I have eaten more strawberries than I can remember.  The crop was amazing.  A plain strawberry is one of natures best treats.  Strawberries are prolific and send out runners so starting with a small number of plants can multiply in to a patch.


Blueberries.  Four bushes should be enough to eat all you want fresh and freeze some for pies, pancakes, and muffins.  They need plenty of water to produce those big luscious berries. Mom and I used to go out picking every evening and ate so many that we were lucky to get any into the house.


Each of these selections come back every year, need little pruning, and are extremely easy to grow.  Having nice fruit bearing shrubs was is an attractive selling feature of a home.  If you don't want a yard that looks like a berry patch you can intermix the plants with your other shrubbery for added color and texture.   Large pots or whiskey barrels can also provide a decorative piece.  Consult your local nursery for the best variety for your area and soil type.

PIES

Now for the real reason for the post. Pies. The selling of pies has become big business with prices ranging from $6 up to $15 or more.  Did you know that if you have your own fruit you can make a pie for about $2?  It's fun.  When my son was about 9 years old we started making pies.  It was part of his home school fractions instruction.  Once we were hooked we kept baking and started giving pies away. The next step was a farmers market and sold them one day.  He was even taking orders for them.  We had flour all over the kitchen.  If you have never tried either rhubarb or strawberry rhubarb pies they are available at most pie shops. If you would like some homework for this post you can drive down and have a piece just to see if you like it.

So there you have it.  In this post we have covered saving money, taking up gardening, baking, and a new family hobby.  Frugal living is not just about saving money, it is a lifestyle.

Related links:
Great pictures on rhubarb and growing other home vegetables. 
http://doorgarden.com/01/how-to-grow-forced-rhubarb
People interested in green living are going to be excited about Mother Earth News!
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Growing-Blueberries.aspx
 
I no longer have my old lifetime recipe box but I'll tell you my best kept never revealed secret.  Right before the pie is ready to go in the oven sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar on the top of the crust.  It will give the pie a golden brown color and a tad of that sugar sparkle.
Here are links to strawberry rhubarb pie recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-challenge/grandmas-strawberry-rhubarb-pie-recipe/index.html
http://angelinkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/05/strawberry-rhubarb-pie.html

Originally posted Aug 17, 2010