Do you find yourself with a ton of rhubarb and you are asking yourself, “what can I make with rhubarb?” You aren’t alone. When rhubarb season hits many people find themselves with a ton of rhubarb and aside from your typical crumble or jam you may want to find some unique rhubarb recipes.
Today I’m going to share with you some recipes beyond a rhubarb crumble and jam. However, I’ll definitely leave links to those types of recipes as well because they are SO SO delicious, you are going to want to make some for yourself alongside the other recipes.
If you WANT to make some rhubarb jam but aren’t sure where to start when it comes to preserving, be sure to read all about what you need to know before canning first.
I actually had some serious writer’s block this week. I’m only writing one post a week right now because the warmer weather brings a busier life on the homestead. But even with just the one post my brain wouldn’t come up with anything. I asked my Facebook friends for ideas and a few mentioned rhubarb. Can I say how awesome it is to have friends who will give you some good ideas when you are fresh out of anything new?
Many of us have memories as a kid eating rhubarb somewhere. In the first 9 years of my life I grew up in a big city and I remember finding rhubarb in the back alleys with my friends. We’d pull the stalks out and munch on them until we couldn’t handle the sourness anymore. I think it was normal to hang out in alleyways when I was a kid (and you know, snack on rhubarb). There’s no way you’ll find me or my kids hanging out in any alleyways any time soon. We’ll just grow our own rhubarb, thank you very much. 🙂
But, back to the recipes. You’ll find the recipes at the of this post, but before I get into the recipes I thought I’d answer a few questions about all things rhubarb.
IS RHUBARB A FRUIT OR VEGETABLE?
You know, I had this moment when I realized I didn’t know whether rhubarb is a vegetable or a fruit. I can’t be the only one, can I? Well, apparently it’s a vegetable. My mind definitely doesn’t go to “vegetable” when it comes to rhubarb because we use it to prepare deliciously sweet desserts. But, rhubarb is a vegetable, through and through.
CAN YOU EAT RHUBARB RAW OR COOKED?
Both! Though, many people find it much more enjoyable when cooked. It’s quite sour when raw, though some people sprinkle sugar on it and eat it that way – my 11 year old being one of them.
ARE RHUBARB LEAVES POISONOUS?
YES! Don’t eat them. They can damage your kidneys or in severe cases can lead to death if enough is consumed.
IS RHUBARB GOOD FOR YOU?
It’s a good source of vitamin K1, as well as high in fiber. They also are a good source of magnesium. It’s also low in calories and high in antioxidants. So yeah, it’s good stuff.
HOW TO HARVEST RHUBARB?
When the stalks are about 10-15 inches tall they are ready to pick. You will want to pick them in late spring or early summer. They don’t really like a ton of heat and tend to go bitter as the summer goes on. Don’t worry if they aren’t red – green stalks are just fine if they are long enough.
You don’t want to cut the stalks. It is better to reach to the bottom of the plant and twist a little bit, and then pull out the stalks. The rhubarb will recover better and grow quicker if you do it this way.
You will want to leave a few stalks on the plant so that it will grow you more rhubarb.
HOW TO FREEZE RHUBARB?
Once I harvest the rhubarb and wash it up, I slice it in chunks and lay them out on a pan to flash freeze. Make sure they are dry before you lay them on the pan or they will freeze to the pan. I stick the pan in the freezer until frozen and then I transfer them to a freezer bag. This keeps them from all sticking together and I can grab whatever I need when I want to bake with it.
WHAT CAN I MAKE WITH RHUBARB? 30 UNIQUE RHUBARB RECIPES
Let’s get to the real reason you are here. To find out what you can make with rhubarb.
OLD-FASHIONED STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRISP
BEST EVER RHUBARB STREUSEL MUFFINS
HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE
RHUBARB SHORTBREAD CRUMBLE TART
RHUBARB BANANA BREAD WITH CARDAMOM GLAZE
BLUEBERRY RHUBARB OATMEAL BARS
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CHEESECAKE BARS
LEMON RHUBARB SCONES WITH VANILLA BEAN GLAZE
Hey, you know what is a really bad idea? Working on a blog post that involves food late at night. Would it be completely weird if I started baking at 10:00 pm? Because now all I want is rhubarb desserts.
But honestly, I see a bunch on this list I want to try out. Basically, it all looks good. Last year I made the Rhubarb Dream Bars that are on this list and I may or may not be able to tell you that I ate half the pan. I’m definitely going to have to try out that Rhubarb Custard Pie at the top of the list. Custards a favorite of homesteaders when we have too many eggs.
Do you have any favorite ways to use rhubarb?
In the rhubarb breakfast cake recipe…113 g. of butter or 1 stick….is that 1/2 cup?
I think 1 stick is half a cup but you should ask directly on the recipe post as it is a different blogger so I’m sure they can help you. 🙂
Rhubarb custard pie is one of my family’s favourite pies, and so easy to make! We also like rhubarb muffins, but there are several recipes here that I’m going to have to try. Thanks for sharing!
Rhubarb custard pie sounds delicious.