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How do I prepare rubarb?

post #1 of 30
5/31/08 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 
How do I prepare rubarb? I havested some rubarb from the yard, how do I prepare it?

Are the leaves edible?
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post #2 of 30
5/31/08 at 3:46pm
The leaves,on rhubarb, are not edible. In fact they contain a mild toxin. Wont' kill you unless you eat tons of it, but can make you sick in other quanities. As for preparing it, its most often used in pie making, chutneys and compotes, and jams and preserves. Rhubarb is quite sour so most recipes use a lot of sugar to balance it, that makes it well suited for dessert uses. Personally, I love rhubarb pie and because we grow so much of the stuff my wife freezes it and I can enjoy rhubarb pies year round. The most popular rhubarb pie is probably strawberry-rhubarb pie. You can find hundreds of recipes online. Rhubarb also makes a great sauce for ice cream or a wonderful compote to serve alongside pork or chicken. Again there are hundreds of recipes out there with all sorts of flavor profiles so just take your pick. Sorry, I don't have any recipes in front of me that I can give you at the moment, but a quick online search will bring up plenty of choices for you to choose from.
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post #3 of 30
5/31/08 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 
I noticed my stems are mostly green with some red, and in the store they are almost all red.

Can I still use mine or were they not ripe enough yet?
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post #4 of 30
5/31/08 at 4:20pm
red or green is fine. - put in the oven with plenty of sugar and grated root ginger. Bake till tender. This method concentrates the flavour. Test for sweetness, then add a crumble topping and bake for 30 mins, or spoon over icecream, or make a pie. You could make a custard, cool and mix in whipped fresh cream and rhubarb for a fool
"If we're not supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?" Jo Brand
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post #5 of 30
5/31/08 at 8:49pm
Carefully put on some rubber gloves, pick up the rhubarb and place it in the trash. Then throw away the gloves and take your garbage can outside then add a gallon of gas and toss in a lit Zippo from a safe distance. Call a hazmat team to get rid of the the remains and your rhubarb problems are solved.:)
"In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. "
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post #6 of 30
6/1/08 at 11:13am
Thread Starter 
What? Are you saying rubarb from the yard is not safe to eat? :confused:
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post #7 of 30
6/1/08 at 11:28am
Thread Starter 
I think he might be right, I purchased a rhubard stalk from the store and it was different it shape, taste and color.

Is there another plant that grows in the wild that looks like rhubarb but isn't?

Mine:
Was green
Tasted like a plant or a weed, inedible raw
Was shaped like a celery

The one from the store
Was red
flat, not curved in the semicircle shape like a celery
was sour but edible raw

Anyone know what the one I might have been using was?
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post #8 of 30
6/1/08 at 12:47pm
There is a weed that looks like rhubarb but it only grows to 1/4 the size. The rhubarb in my yard is about 3 feet tall already. I just picked some yesterday. Chopped it, added a bunch of sugar, let it sit for 3-4 hours then into freezer containers. Most rhubarb isn't celery shaped, one side is mostly flat with the other being curved. Some of the rhubarb is in the fridge for rhubarb crisp tonight.
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post #9 of 30
6/1/08 at 12:50pm
Thread Starter 
I think I was eating the weed then :eek:

The biggest leaves were about a foot long and another 8 inches of stem.
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post #10 of 30
6/1/08 at 1:02pm
Stalks are 18+ inches long usually. I had a weed like you described, mowed it off weekly and it kept coming back :lol: a good rule of thumb is if a plant tastes bitter it might not be edible.
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post #11 of 30
6/1/08 at 1:29pm
As a child, growing up in Harrogate Yorkshire (england) my brothers and I used to go to the valley gardens in the summer and although too young then to appreciate the fabulous gardens, We were aware and fascinated by the giant "rhubarb" growing by the stream - It was massive - At least 15ft tall, with leaves 4-5ft across. We used to eat Rhubarb raw, dipped in sugar and often pondered the idea of taking some sugar with us and tasting mega rhubarb...Maybe wouldn't be here now if we had!!
Anyone know what that stuff was?
"If we're not supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?" Jo Brand
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post #12 of 30
6/1/08 at 2:36pm
honestly my post was not serious at all, I just don't like rhubarb and feel it's best left in a mulch pile or animal feed. :lol:
"In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. "
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post #13 of 30
6/2/08 at 6:40am
This is rhubarb as I've seen it in North America. It's good in fruit compote or cooked with apples into sauce. As a kid I used to chew on the raw stems because I (and many kids, if you can trust the market in ultra-sour candy these days) loved the tartness of it.
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post #14 of 30
6/2/08 at 9:33am
Thats the stuff! The rhubarb crisp last night was tasty but a bit to sour :lol: I always seem to do that the first time or two and not add enough sugar.
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post #15 of 30
6/2/08 at 10:49pm
Hmm, arugula, chicory, endive, radicchio, puntarella, mustard greens, lacinato kale, broccoli rabe, dandelions, all taste bitter all are good, plus I'm sure there are others. oh yeah artichokes!!!!

@OP post a picture up, we might be able to id it that way. But rhubarb is singularly definitive in taste, you won't be able to confuse it with anything else. so if it's not super tart, with zincy undertones, it's probably not rhubarb
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post #16 of 30
6/4/08 at 6:29pm
Nice photo Mezz, but I want to add that not all rhubarb is red. Mine usually stays green, sometimes getting a slight red blush, but mostly green. It still tastes great. In fact the other day made a rhubarb-strawberry crisp accented with diced candied ginger. Served slightly warm with vanilla ice cream. No better way to enjoy a late Spring/early Summer day!
From Man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the World-Saint Arnoldus
http://www.onceachef.com/
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post #17 of 30
6/4/08 at 8:56pm
Ever eat an olive right off the tree :eek::eek:

I like rhubarb.

mjb.
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post #18 of 30
6/5/08 at 1:47am
Translation:

Carefully put on rubber gloves, and throw out the baby with the bathwater.


Well...this is up to you.

Rhubarb, or Da Huang, is almost more of a medicine than a food in Chinese medicine.

Here's a recent guide from Jamie Oliver about using Da Huang.

I would ignore Gunnar's ignorance about rhubarb if I were you.

Sometimes there is more to food than the way it tastes.

More about Da Huang here.
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post #19 of 30
6/5/08 at 4:40am
OAC, Gunnar's opinion of rhubarb is every bit as valid as yours. Please refrain from tossing a potentially offensive word like "ignorance" in what is otherwise a good, informative post.
Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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post #20 of 30
6/5/08 at 6:51pm
:DOahu may have hit it on the head. It tastes like medicine. I'm not sick, I'm taking it.:D
"In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. "
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post #21 of 30
6/5/08 at 8:11pm
Sorry for my rudeness.
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post #22 of 30
6/5/08 at 11:56pm

Rhubarb

I find the best way to cook rhubarb is to steam it - this way you keep all the taste and all the nutrients.
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post #23 of 30
6/6/08 at 2:55am

Rhubarb Crumble

Also - anyone got any good tips for a delicious rhubarb crumble - i always struggle to get the crumble mixture right?
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post #24 of 30
6/6/08 at 2:59am
I like to roast rhubarb in about one inch slices, sprinkled with honey in a moderate oven. Rhubarb remains in pieces, rather than simmered into stringy bits!
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post #25 of 30
6/6/08 at 8:21am
mmm sounds delish - what do you do about the crumble topping?
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post #26 of 30
6/6/08 at 8:28am
I use sugar, butter, flour, oatmeal for a topping. I would give amounts but I never measure :roll:cream the sugar and butter together, work in the flour then work in the oatmeal.
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post #27 of 30
6/6/08 at 8:58pm
Seriously, For a moment, Oahu I took no offense. I have read your posts, and your a very honest person. Living in California I have known several Hawaiian natives and long time dwellers (was mistook for one when i visited). I am familiar with the forthright speaking of islanders (no offense intended just in case any one hates the term "islanders") and frankly find it kinder then a lot of new yorkers (offense meant to any new yorker from the 212 area code who ever called me for tech support, and I mean all you sob's). I just figured people would read my post and find a little humor is all.
"In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. "
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post #28 of 30
6/6/08 at 10:36pm

rhubarb and sugar

Although I habitually reduce the sugar in whatever recipe I am making, with rhubarb, I stick to whatever the recipe says to use. Otherwise it usually is just too sour.
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post #29 of 30
6/7/08 at 12:32am
wow that's a little harsh. you forgot all of us in the 718 area code and that really makes me mad. That's it, I'm calling all the tech supporters tommorow and giving you all a rough time. Better get your union together to discuss strategies of keeping us on hold twice as long as necessary, while you trying to find out the answer to the age old dilemma of what to have for breakfast, and how to keep all the ding-dong crumbs out of the cracks of your keyboard. Lol, sorry had to rant a little, didn't even realise there are tech supporters left stateside. Booya
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post #30 of 30
6/7/08 at 11:01am
There aren't, lol. Why do you think I have been cooking. Besides you can only tell someone so many times that the tray they broke was the cd-rom drive, not the cup holder, before you start wondering if this is the job for you.
"In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. "
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