Aunt Cookie’s Red Rhubarb of the day. Instead of making rhubarb jam, there are many other uses of rhubarb such as pie, cake, tart, Cassie Yates Chelsy Taus puddings, breads, sauces, and beverages such as wine. Britney Winkelman Not all parts of rhubarb plants are people Kari Mostrom friendly. The roots and leaves of the plant are During the spring semester 2006, several local food producers extremely poisonous because they contain oxalic acid. were interviewed by University of Minnesota Crookston composition students instructed by Dr. Rachel McCoppin. These The only part of the plant that is used for cooking is interviews were done as a service-learning project that allows students to practice their interviewing and writing skills on a real the petiole, or leaf stem. world project. You do not need to be in the Warren area to Are you getting tired of the boring grape and purchase Aunt Cookie’s rhubarb jam. You can buy it strawberry jam? If so, try Aunt Cookie’s spreadable in the northeastern part of Minnesota, and all the way red rhubarb jam. It’s available in four different to Grand Forks, North Dakota at locations such as flavors: red rhubarb, red rhubarb-strawberry, red Hugo’s, Amazing Grains, and Jet Stop, to name a few. rhubarb-raspberry, and red rhubarb-chokecherry. It can also be found at Carlos Creek Winery in Terry Potucek of Warren, Minnesota wakes up to a Alexandria and at Gooseberry Falls State Park and 2400 acre farm every day with his wife Cookie, and Itasca State Park, all in Minnesota. they begin their busy day of making their tasty Aunt Cookie’s jam is also a great gift basket rhubarb jam. Along with making the jam, they have a idea or gift for any special occasion. The glass jars very busy lifestyle of farming wheat, barley and come in two different sizes, 5.5 ounces or 9 ounces. soybeans. Their career as farmers started in 1977 and You can get a set of four 9 ounce glass jars in a they began the red rhubarb business three years ago. wooden holder with one of each flavor of jam for the The rhubarb business started out as a small group of low price of $15.95. You can purchase a set of three about 20 farmers who were interested in selling frozen assorted flavors of the 5.5 ounce container in a red rhubarb, but it didn’t work out as planned, so wooden crate for only $11.95, or for those who eat Terry and Cookie began operating their own business. like birds, there is a set of two assorted flavors in a Terry and Cookie’s niece started selling the birdhouse for $11.95. spreadable red rhubarb jam in Minneapolis, and that is If you really are bored with the same old how they got the name of Aunt Cookie’s red rhubarb. strawberry and grape jam, then pick up some red There are numerous benefits of Aunt Cookie’s rhubarb spreadable fruit at your local foods store jam; it is Minnesota Grown with no added found throughout Northern Minnesota as stated above. preservatives, no food coloring, and no pesticides or For more information or any further questioning check fertilizers used in its production. It’s a great source of out the website at www.redrhubarb.com or give Terry potassium and vitamins, and is low in sodium and Potucek a call at 218-745-5589. sugar and contains no fat. It’s a nutritious, delicious and inexpensive snack that you can enjoy at all hours