In Season: Rhubarb
My mother-in-law just told me she’s growing rhubarb in her garden this year, and now it’s my job to come up with things to do with it. Rhubarb is a quintessential spring goodie with an unmistakably tart bite.
When, Where & What?
Rhubarb hits peak season for a short time in early spring. Though I’ve never tried, I hear if you grow it in your home garden, it’s a little hard to control. I’ll see how my mother-in-law makes out and get back to you.
Rhubarb is easy to spot at the market thanks to its dark green leaves and shiny crimson stalks. The leaves are high in toxic oxalic acid, so when it comes to eating it, stick to the stalks. Known for a distinctively tart flavor, rhubarb is good raw, but is more often cooked to mellow the flavor out.
Nutrition Facts
One cup of rhubarb has about 25 calories and is full of vitamin C and vitamin E (it actually has 45% of your daily vitamin E needs). The veggie also contains some calcium, but since its oxalic acid interferes with calcium absorption, the body can’t take advantage of it. Yes, it’s yummy, but you also want to limit your enjoyment. It contains anthraquinones, which may have a laxative effect.
What To Do With Rhubarb
Since rhubarb is so tart, most folks usually prepare it with sugar or some other sweetener to give it balance. Classic dishes are sugary, strawberry and rhubarb tarts, pies and other pastries (strawberry-rhubarb crisp is my personal favorite). You can also stew rhubarb or preserve it in jams, jellies or spicy chutneys. Try spreading rhubarb chutney on toasted bread and top with sliced turkey and sharp cheddar cheese — amazing! You can also boil rhubarb with sugar to make a syrup for drinks or sundaes.
Shopping Tip: Choose rhubarb stalks that are firm and bright red. Store them in the refrigerator trimmed and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 2 weeks.
- Recipes to try:
- Strawberry Rhubarb Tart
- Strawberry Rhubarb Calzone
- Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade
- Rhubarb Onion and Raisin Chutney
- Ruffled Phyllo Tart with Spring Fruit
[Photo: Katia Grimmer-Laversanne / SXC]
You are so wrong about rhubarb.I grew up eating it and it is still my favorite. You don’t need sugar if you grow the strawberry rhubarb. It is delicious and just stew it slowly without sugar and you can do many things with it. If you want recipes, I have them!
I would love some recipes, I have never had Rhubarb before but my boyfriend is growing it in the garden.
Please email me at lisahoward@aol.com if you would
It looks like the rhubarb being introduced to our garden by my wife will cut into my cucumber space (not good). I’ll give it a try but my jury is still out. Hopefully my daughter in law has some good recipes because I know she’s behind this.
I grew up on rhubarb as well & its still one of my favorites. I am in charge of the strawberry-rhubarb pie every thanksgiving for those who don’t like pumpkin! Its a great alternative.
Rhubarb grows wide and tall due to the large leaves but is not “hard to control”. It doesn’t spread and will stay in it’s patch, coming back year after year. It will also produce longer than just a short time in the spring.
I make an apple rhubarb pie. Just half and half of each with your favorite recipe. My husband loves it!
My mother used to make a rhubarb pie that had a sugary, almost custard like top. In addition to the sugar I am reasonably sure it contained eggs. It had no top crust. If anyone has a recipe like this I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks
Strawberry rhubarb jam is the best ever!! Add some crushed pineapple and you have something extra special!! Hot biscuits and pass the jam !!!!!!
Rhubarb Cheesecake – This is the recipe that convince me to learn to make cheesecake.
Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 c butter
Layer 1:
3-4 c rhubarb (well drained)
1/2 c sugar
1T flour
Layer 2:
2 (8oz) cream cheese
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
Topping:
1c sour cream
2T sugar
1t vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 375. Combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Mix until crumbly and pat into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Toss together rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Pour onto crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350.
3. Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Pour over hot rhubarb in the pan.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Bake on cookie sheet – springform pan will most likely leak. Cover with sour cream toping while still hot.
5. To make the sour cream topping, combine 1 cup sour cream, 2 T sugar and 1 t vanilla. Mix well and spread on top of cake.
Rhubarb Custard Dairy Bars
Crust:
1 cup room temp butter or margarine
2 cups flour
4 T. flour
Mix until crumbly. Pat into ungreased 9×13 pan. Bake 10 minutes in 350 degree preheated oven.
Filling:
5 cups finely cut rhubarb
6 egg yolks or 4 whole eggs
2 cups sugar
7 T. flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cream (can use milk instead)
As crust bakes, beat the egg yolks or eggs adding sugar, flour, salt, and cream or milk until well blended. Mix in the rhubarb. Pour mixture over crust and bake for 50 minutes or until custard is well set. Remove from oven and cool.
Topping:
8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
Blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Fold in whipped cream and spread over the cooled rhubarb custard. Chill.
Rhubarb is great cooked and slightly sweetened and added to plain yogurt. Did anyone notice the picture is not rhubarb, but is in fact swiss chard?!!!!
In what parts of the southeast US can strawberry rhubarb be grown? Does it need winters with below freezing temps.?
I grew up with rhubarb also. I love it! It’s my favorite pie, either alone or with strawberry. It makes great cobbler too. Or just rhubarb sauce for ice cream. (and Rhubarb makes a great pet name too!)
As for Mary H.’s custard top recipe quest, there is one in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook – you know, the one everyone has (or every thrift store).
We used to have a recipe for rhubarb custard pie, but we can’t find it anymore. Can someone help us with the recipe?
Your photo looks like swiss chard not rhubarb
When I visited Ireland, we often found Rhubard Yogurt at our breakfast buffet. It was delicious but I have never seen it in the US.
That’s not rhubarb in the photo. That’s red chard. Rhubarb has much larger leaves, and isn’t quite as red-veined.
Thanks for the heads up on the photo! It was a mislabeled stock image. We’re looking for a better one. And great preparation ideas, everyone.
If you see slugs eating your rhubarb, place foil around the base. Slugs hate foil.
Rhubarb straight from the garden in the cools morning is best, on hand with some splenda blend (use to be sugar) and dip, bite, dip, bite….mm mmm good.
Anyone have any savory ideas for rhubarb?
Mary, here’s the rhubarb pie recipe I think you are looking for:
Peoria Rhubarb Cream Pie
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
Filling:
3 to 4 cups of rhubarb, cut up
1 cup of sugar
1/3 cup flour plus 1 tablespoon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs beaten in a measuring cup
3/4 cup milk (OR enough milk to add to beaten eggs to make 1 cup of liquid)
Crumb topping:
1 cup Flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
DIRECTIONS: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour in the bottom of the pie crust. Evenly spread cut up rhubarb in pie crust. Mix the sugar, 1/3 cup flour, salt and 1 cup egg/milk mixture together. Bake (without topping) at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Combine topping ingredients until crumbly. Pour over warm rhubarb filling and then bake at 350 degrees for another 40 to 45 minutes more or until pie tests done. Makes 8 slices.
Barbara Webb, I would like to receive some recipes. Please email me at chaucool8@yahoo.com if you would. Thank you.
Barbara Webb, I would like to receive some recipes. Please email me at mohmama3@yahoo.com if you would. Thank you.
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler cooked in the dutch oven is the all time fav. camping dish for our family– serve with ice cream and you will think you have gone to heaven!
Barbara Webb! I have a fiance growing a patch now and will be required to come up with things to do with all of this once it comes to! Help, share your recipes please!Thanks! cleo_larsen@yahoo.com