15 Surprising Savory Rhubarb Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What brings out the Flavour of rhubarb? ›

Rhubarb shows off it's stripes

This article recommends poaching the rhubarb in a sugar syrup first and you can add flavors like vanilla, cardamom, star anise or even lemon to add a unique twist and a recipe for Vanilla-poached rhubarb pound cake.

Rhubarb is a truly special ingredient. With its vivid pink colour and distinctively tangy taste, it can be stewed, poached, roasted and puréed in a range of dishes as well as drinks. Use it in a comforting crumble, a classic syllabub, a fruity chutney or a zingy kebab sauce – the possibilities are endless.

Rhubarb prefers a pH below 7.0 (neutral to acidic — adding peat moss, compost, coffee grounds and Espoma Holly-Tone organic fertilizer can help acidify soil).

Sennoside A and other dianthrone derivatives are reported to be the active ingredients causing rhubarb's laxative effect (6). They are metabolized by β-glucosidase of enterobacterial origin and are converted into rhein anthrone, which produces the purgative activity.

Rhubarb is good to eat in spring or early summer months, so before late July, to be exact. However, during the late summer months, rhubarb stalks tend to become more fibrous and start to lose their characteristic natural flavor. So, it's better not to eat rhubarb in the late summer.

If you already have kidney disease, avoid rhubarb. Kidney stones: Rhubarb contains a chemical that the body can convert into kidney stones. If you have ever had kidney stones, don't take rhubarb.

A cup is a measure of volume while pounds is a measure of weight so a direct calculation is difficult. If we only take liquid weight into account, one cup is eight ounces and two pounds would be 32 ounces so two pounds of rhubarb would equate to 4 cups.

Rhubarb is high in calcium oxalate. While the substance is mainly in the leaves, it's also found in the stalks. Too much calcium oxalate in your diet may lead to hyperoxaluria, which is the buildup of oxalate crystals in different organs.

While cinnamon may be a more common spice to pair with rhubarb, citrusy, herbal cardamon lends a warm, citrusy note to a dish. A big pinch of ground cardamom can be added to any cake, pie, or compote, or you can simply add a little to the whipped cream you'll be topping your rhubarb dessert with.

Slugs eat rhubarb leaves but the mesh would obviously not stop them, so it is something bigger. Possums will also eat the leaves and seem to survive the Oxalic Acid they contain. Birds such as Pukekos will also eat the leaves.

Why do my teeth feel funny after eating rhubarb? ›

Eating foods rich in oxalic acid can leave a sticky coating on your teeth which can make them feel fuzzy or furry. Foods with high oxalic acid content include leafy greens such as kale or spinach, as well as beetroot, sweet potato and rhubarb.

Its stalks are deeper red and tinged with green, while its leaves are bright green. It has a more intense flavour and robust texture than the forced variety. Although it can be eaten raw, rhubarb tends to be too tart this way, and it's usually best when cooked with plenty of sugar.

As rhubarb cooks it releases a lot of moisture, so there's rarely any need to add much extra liquid.

Sweeten It: Rhubarb's natural tartness can be balanced with sugar or other sweeteners. You can make rhubarb compote, pie, or jam by simmering chopped rhubarb with sugar until it becomes tender and sweet. Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste.

Watering and feeding

Established rhubarb plants – water only during prolonged dry periods in summer or in very light, free-draining soil. Growth will slow down and even stop if conditions are too hot and dry. Rhubarb in containers – water regularly throughout the growing season, as the compost will dry out quickly.

The rhubarb seems to appreciate it and has had a recent growth spurt. My other herbs don't seem to care and are just being normal. From the internet, I finally looked it up. I learned that using Epsom salts in gardens is not new and farmers learned long ago that magnesium sulfate fed plants become greener.

Rhubarb is too tart to be enjoyed raw. To take rhubarb to pie heights you'll need to add sugar or another sweetener. Then you can enjoy rhubarb's sweet-sour fruity taste that hints of apricot, strawberry, and lemon all rolled into one.