Should you peel rhubarb before cooking?

Cut away and discard any tough, woody, or bruised parts of the stalks. Wash the stalks thoroughly and scrub with a vegetable brush. You don't need to peel peak-season rhubarb, but by midsummer, the stalks tend to be tough and fibrous. You might need to peel them to make them tastier.

Is cooked rhubarb a laxative?

Rhubarb is a type of laxative called a stimulant laxative. Stimulant laxatives can cause diarrhea and decrease potassium levels. Some medications for inflammation, called corticosteroids, can also decrease potassium levels.

What makes rhubarb a laxative?

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.

What brings out the Flavour of rhubarb?

Using fresh ginger in the rhubarb compote will give it a spicy kick, which works beautifully when swirled through the creamy filling.

Can I freeze rhubarb?

For loose pieces of rhubarb, spread the pieces in a single layer on lined trays and open freeze them. Once frozen, tip the pieces into containers or bags. Otherwise, if you are not worried about them sticking together, freeze them straight into the container or bags. Use within three months.

How do you sweeten rhubarb without sugar?

In Jenny's mind, rhubarb needs little more than two additional ingredients and 30 minutes in the oven to come to life. It also can rely on some of nature's best sweeteners—honey and orange juice—to bring it to its sweetest, most flavorful heights.

Why can't you eat too much rhubarb?

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.

How many cups is two pounds of 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.

Is it OK to eat rhubarb every day?

The bottom line Since it may be high in oxalate, you should avoid eating too much of it and try to select stalks from low-oxalate varieties. If you are prone to kidney stones, it might be best to avoid rhubarb altogether. On the bright side, rhubarb is a good source of antioxidants, vitamin K, and fiber.

Which pan is best for cooking rhubarb?

Rhubarb is acidic – you shouldn't cook it in aluminium, copper, or iron pans that react. In metal pans, rhubarb turns brownish and the pan discolours. Instead, cook rhubarb in coated pans or glass baking pans.

Which part of rhubarb should not be used and why?

The toxic parts of rhubarb (Rheum x hybridum) are the leaves and the roots, as described by University of Illinois Extension: “One characteristic consistent with all rhubarb is the toxicity of the leaves and roots. The rhubarb leaves contain high amounts of oxalic acid, a toxic and potentially deadly poison.”

Can you eat the green part of rhubarb?

MILLIE: Absolutely! Green stems are just as delicious as the red stems we are more familiar with on other varieties of Rhubarb. Many rhubarb varieties never develop red stems at all, but they are no less tasty than the others.

17 Rhubarb Recipes to Celebrate Spring's Most Famous Not-Fruit (2024)

For most of my life, I only thought about rhubarb when I heard Garrison Keillor sing about it on the radio. But when I started going to college in southern Indiana, it was impossible to miss the vibrant red stalks filling the farmers market each spring. Rhubarb is an odd vegetable—the stalks are incredibly tart and the leaves are toxic. Treat it right, though, and it's absolutely delicious. Most recipes cut the rhubarb with lots of sugar, though sweet spring fruit can also get the job done. We love rhubarb in sweets like pies and compotes, but its tart flavor is also right at home in co*cktails and nonalcoholic drinks. From rhubarb crisps to a fruity Sidecar variation, keep reading for 17 of our favorite rhubarb recipes.

Savory

Quick-Pickled Rhubarb With Lemongrass and Ginger

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Quick-pickling is an easy way to get a few extra weeks out of produce with a short season. Here, we pickle rhubarb in a brine flavored with lemongrass and ginger, plus plenty of sugar. Go with light brown sugar, which will balance out the tart rhubarb and has a deep, robust flavor that can stand up to the intense aromatics.

Get the recipe for Quick-Pickled Rhubarb With Lemongrass and Ginger »

Sweet

Red Wine Roasted-Rhubarb Compote

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This super simple dessert is nothing more than rhubarb roasted until tender with wine, sugar, and a vanilla bean. You just need half a cup of wine—rhubarb releases lots of liquid when it cooks. The not-too-sweet compote is delicious with pound cake or ice cream, but serve it with yogurt and you've got yourself breakfast.

Get the recipe for the Red Wine Roasted-Rhubarb Compote »

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote With Fennel

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Strawberries and rhubarb are a beloved combination for good reason—sour rhubarb needs sweetness, and ripe in-season strawberries have plenty of sugar. In this compote, we chop the rhubarb into small pieces then cook it down with the sweet strawberries and aromatic fennel seed.

Get the recipe for the Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote With Fennel »

Rhubarb Crisp

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Our rhubarb crisp has a couple tricks up its sleeve. We cook the rhubarb in batches, baking half of it before mixing in the rest, to give the dish some textural variation. In addition, a quarter of a teaspoon of baking soda helps take a little of the acidic edge off the rhubarb. If you have elderflower liqueur on hand, pouring in a few ounces accentuates the rhubarb's flavor.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

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You can substitute a third of the rhubarb with ripe strawberries to give your rhubarb crisp a sweeter, more complex flavor. The streusel topping is one of the most important parts of a crisp, and we make ours with brown sugar, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, anise seed, Chinese five-spice powder, and lots of butter.

Get the recipe for the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp »

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

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We keep going with the strawberry and rhubarb combo for this pie—arguably one of the most classic rhubarb desserts around. Macerating the strawberries and rhubarb with sugar and letting it sit with minute tapioca helps draw out excess moisture from the fruit while allowing the starch to hydrate and absorb any excess liquid.

Get the recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie »

Millionaire's Cherry Rhubarb Jam

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A quick pickle will last for a few weeks, but if you want rhubarb all year long, then canning is the only way to go. This sweet-tart rhubarb jam is made with rhubarb, sweet cherries, vanilla bean, and Grand Marnier. The result is a canning-ready treat with sophisticated tropical and citrus notes.

Get the recipe for the Millionaire's Cherry Rhubarb Jam »

Gluten-Free Rhubarb Pie With Sorghum Crust

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This dessert is something of a pie-galette hybrid, and the simplicity of the filling—sliced rhubarb, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch—really allows the rhubarb flavor to shine. The grainy, rustic crust is totally gluten-free, thanks to a mix of sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, and tapioca starch.

Get the recipe for Gluten-Free Rhubarb Pie With Sorghum Crust »

Strawberry Rhubarb Kuchen

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The German dish kuchen is a coffee cake stuffed with fruit. This version starts with a yeasted cake, onto which we pipe a layer of strawberry-rhubarb filling and finish with a crumble topping made with brown sugar, butter, and spices. The dairy-rich dough won't rise too much, but make sure it fills about half the depth of your pan before adding the filling and crumble.

Get the recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Kuchen »

Layered Toasted-Coconut Puddings With Red Fruit Purée and Coconut Cream

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Rote grütze is another German dessert you might not be familiar with—it's a pudding made by cooking groats and red fruit and it's usually served with cream. This untraditional take on the dish is made by layering a toasted-coconut pudding, puréed rhubarb, strawberries, and raspberries, and an aerated cultured coconut cream in individual jars.

Get the recipe for Layered Toasted-Coconut Puddings With Red Fruit Purée and Coconut Cream »

Drinks

Rhubarb Juice

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Let's start our adventure in rhubarb drinks with the simplest one imaginable—this beautiful pink juice is literally just rhubarb and water. You might be skeptical of the lack of sugar, but just trust us and give it a shot—after the juice is chilled and strained, it comes out refreshingly sweet-tart.

Get the recipe for Rhubarb Juice »

Booze-Free Rhubarb Lime Gimlet

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A bracingly vinegary rhubarb shrub stands in for booze in this nonalcoholic gimlet variation. It gets sweetened with maple syrup and also gets a little extra tartness from freshly squeezed lime juice. We finish it with just a couple ounces of seltzer—enough for some fizz but not enough to overly dilute the shrub.

Get the recipe for the Booze-Free Rhubarb Lime Gimlet »

Rhubarb-Ginger Cooler

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This nonalcoholic cooler is made with a homemade rhubarb syrup, ginger beer, and lime juice. The complex syrup is flavored with fresh ginger, orange zest, and allspice berries in addition to the rhubarb. Look for a spicy ginger beer like Bruce Cost to stand up to the tangy rhubarb.

Get the recipe for the Rhubarb-Ginger Cooler »

Rhuboulevardier

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I love Boulevardiers, seasonal produce, and puns, so the Rhuboulevardier was basically made just for me. It's got the same base of bourbon and sweet vermouth as the classic, but instead of Campari we use Gran Classico and a tart, fruity rhubarb syrup.

Get the recipe for the Rhuboulevardier »

Rhubarb Sidecar

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A classic Sidecar is made with brandy, Cointreau, and lemon juice. This fruit-forward variation uses sweet pear brandy and replaces the lemon juice with a rhubarb shrub. We also shake in an ounce of simple syrup, which tempers the tartness of the shrub without making the co*cktail too sweet.

Get the recipe for the Rhubarb Sidecar »

Rhubarb Shrub

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Tart rhubarb practically begs to celebrated in a shrub. Two pounds of rhubarb may seem like a lot, but a large amount is necessary to have a good concentrated rhubarb flavor in the final product.

Get the recipe for the Rhubarb Shrub »

DIY Rhubarb Bitters

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There isn't a co*cktail ingredient that doesn't benefit from a little rhubarb. Steep some rhubarb in almost any clear spirit, and you'll be rewarded with a bright and fresh tasting infused spirit.

Get the recipe for the DIY Rhubarb Bitters »