Advertisement

In season: Everything you need to know about rhubarb

With the promise of spring just around the corner, we're excited to see rhubarb start showing up at markets and in grocery stores.

Here's what you need to know about the tart celery-resembling veggie.

 Thinkstock
 Thinkstock

Season

Despite being a vegetable, field-grown rhubarb is often considered the “first fruit of the season,” so expect to see it pop up in grocery stores as temperatures rise. (It has to get warmer, right?)

In Ontario, “forced” varieties’ roots are stored in a darkened shed all winter until buds appear in early spring.

According to Foodland Ontario, shoppers can find the vegetable in stores from January to June.

Greenhouse-grown rhubarb can be found in some stores year-round, but it's also pretty easy to grow your own. Find out how here.

Health Benefits
Rhubarb contains disease-fighting antioxidants, is a good source of vitamin K and vitamin C, calcium, potassium and magnesium, and is a good source of fibres that help blog the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, helping to lower your meals’ glycemic index.

It can also relieve constipation, may help lower cholesterol, and reduce the onset of insulin resistance in men, possibly reducing the risk of developing diabetes.

Important note: Rhubarb leaves are toxic. Please don’t eat them.

Thinkstock
Thinkstock

How to Buy

According to Canadian Living, “the redder the stalk, the sweeter the rhubarb.”

Can't find red rhubarb? No need to worry. Other sources claim the colour — the veggie can be found in shades of pink, red and green — doesn’t indicate a huge variation in taste or freshness.

The Kitchn recommends we look for firm, crisp stalks and fresh leaves when shopping for rhubarb.

How to Store
Store the stalks unwashed, in the fridge, for up to one week.

If you’re not going to use it in that time frame, chop it up and freeze in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag for up to eight months.

How to Use
Rhubarb is usually cooked, baked or stewed before using. (Raw, it can taste very tart and have a stringy texture.) And while we often associate the vegetable with desserts — strawberry-rhubarb pie, anyone? — it can also be used in sauces, jams, chutneys, smoothies, loaves, or even as a pizza topping.

Due to its bitter nature, rhubarb is usually paired with something sweeter, like fruits, sweet spices and sweeteners — similar to the way cranberries are.

And because of rhubarb’s acidity, it’s recommended we avoid cooking it in aluminum pots.

Recipe: Rhubarb Orange Jelly
This versatile recipe from Canadian Living works as a topping for toast, or paired with poultry or pork.

Recipe: Spicy Chicken Thighs with Rhubarb-Cucumber Salsa

Courtesy Bon Appetit
Courtesy Bon Appetit

This simple chicken recipe from the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen is sure to chase the winter blues away.

(This is a rare recipe that calls for raw rhubarb. If it's too tart for you, here's a salsa recipe that calls for blanching the stalks first.)

Recipe: Asparagus with Rhubarb Hollandaise

Courtesy Food Network/Anna Olseo
Courtesy Food Network/Anna Olseo

Add a little "seasonal tartness" to your asparagus dishes this spring with this recipe from Anna Olson.

Recipe: Rhubarb Basil Cocktail

Courtesy The Kitchn
Courtesy The Kitchn

Yes, please! Whip up a simple rhubarb purée for this pretty-in-pink cocktail from The Kitchn.

(For those passing on vodka, the purée in this recipe can be used over ice cream.)

Recipe: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Courtesy Food Network/Ina Garten
Courtesy Food Network/Ina Garten

Intimidated by pie crust? Make a crumble! Ina Garten has yet to let us down, recipe-wise, so we're confident this one's a winner.

How do you cook with rhubarb?

Watch the video below for another delicious rhubarb recipe.