Got Rhubarb?

Got Rhubarb? Simple solutions for an abundance of this perennial.  

​Do you have a rhubarb plant in your garden or know someone who does? This perennial plant is a giver. It is not fussy, requiring very little attention, to the point that sometimes we forget about it.... Until the Spring, when it turns into something from the Jurassic Era and takes over that forgotten-about corner in your yard. 

The abundance that one plant provides is staggering and you may find yourself pawning off stems to neighbors, family, friends, priests, and passersby.  Sharing is good... But remember to keep some for yourself using the strategies listed below.  

---

First, let's talk about the botanical and nutritional nature of this amazing plant.  Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is a vegetable, but we often use it like a fruit. The plant is perennial, meaning that it will regrow year-after-year from the rhizomes and roots that are left in the ground. If your plant is becoming too big for your space, you can divide the crowns to share with others. You want to harvest the rhubarb stalks through the Spring and Summer when they are about a foot long.  You can cut the stalks off at the base or apply a twisting motion at the bottom of the stalk to remove from the plant (the preferred method).   

Always remove the leaves....they are toxic if ingested! 

Nutritionally, the stalks are mostly water and fiber with a good amount of potassium, vitamin C and vitamin A. There is also quite a bit of calcium in rhubarb (~100mg/cup), however, this is bound with oxalate and not easily absorbed when ingested. This calcium is actually helpful to us, as the binding to the oxalate in the rhubarb plant helps to lower risk of kidney stones (the most common form being calcium-oxalate). By binding in the plant itself, the absorption of oxalate via our gut decreases. This works with food pairings as well -  think goat cheese (calcium) on your spinach salad (oxalate). The binding within the food or within our gut prevents the oxalate from being absorbed and traveling to our kidneys where it could then bind with calcium and form little crystals of pain and terror. Still, even with this calcium content, rhubarb is considered a high oxalate food with amounts similar to dark leafy greens.... So you will want to put some ice cream on your rhubarb pie for even more calcium. ​:) 

Desserts, jams, and syrups with plenty of added sugar are the most common ways to use the naturally tangy-tart stalks. On it's own, rhubarb has an astringent quality that can leave the mouth feeling dry and the sour-tanginess is pucker-worthy. These attributes are why it is such a great foil to sweet desserts and other sweetened marinades and sauces, such as BBQ.  ​

---

You will notice that different rhubarb plants may have different external stalk colors. This is most dependent upon the variety of rhubarb, with stalks ranging from green, to pink, to red, and even speckled.  Contrary to popular belief, the stalk color is not found to affect the tartness.   

Freezing is a fantastic option, as this vegetable holds up well being frozen and is a lovely pairing in deep winter with other fruits for a hearty cobbler or crumble.  Use a sheet pan to individually freeze the chopped pieces, allowing plenty of room, so that they do not stick together. 

Once frozen, then you can transfer into a long-term storage container, such as a freezer-weight plastic bag or container. This way you can use exactly the amount you want in the future without needing to thaw the whole container. This method works well for other fruits, such as berries. 

​I would recommend freezing some specific quantities that are usable for recipes. Ideally, you would label your containers with what, when and how much. For example: rhubarb from mom, June 2020, 4 cups. 

Another fun use for extra stalks is to make a rhubarb simple syrup or a rhubarb shrub for Summer cocktails and mocktails. 

Cheers to an abundance of fresh produce this Summer!
Remember to share as well as save some for yourself. 

~Megan

If in doubt about how to start using your rhubarb, proceed immediately to making a crisp. There is nothing quite as simple and delicious as a Summer crisp with fresh fruit.  

Here is an easy recipe to get you started: 

4 cups fresh or frozen diced rhubarb 
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chia seeds
Crisp Topping: 
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions: 

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Grease bottom and sides of square 8 x 8 inch pan.
• Pour in diced rhubarb and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar and chia seeds.
• Mix remaining ingredients together in a bowl and sprinkle over rhubarb.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until the topping is golden.
• Serve with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!