Hello, Custard, What's those Strawberries for? (Rhubarb)

Member Name: shroud

Product:	Rhubarb
Date:	08/06/08 (320 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: pratically pest free, hardy, prolific, decorative

Disadvantages: toxic leaves and roots, acquired taste

Rhubarb is one of those edible vegetable plants whose offerings you either love or hate. Originally from Asia, where it grows wild, it was first used medicinally. Rhubarb actually aids digestion by stimulating the production of more gastric juices and helps move the bile salts in the liver as well which helps regulate the absorption of fatty acids. In Europe, after its introduction for these traditional uses, it was discovered that it appealed to many palates when cooked and used as a fruit in puddings and main courses. Delicious it may be to many, but a word of caution as well.

Rhubarb is high in oxalis, which is poisonous to humans and animals if eaten. Only the stems are edible, with the roots and leaves carrying potentially lethal amounts of the compound. It is therefore recommended that if you decide to grow this plant in your garden, that your children are closely supervised and warned of its dangers. Rhubarb is also considered highly ornamental, and persons with limited garden space, or who have no desire to eat it, often grow it in decorative beds for the large elephantine foliage and colourful red and green stems.

Rhubarb, once established, will produce heavily, so once you find yourself getting five or six stalks on each plant, it is time to diivide up the root stock in order to give it a better chance at a good crop, as otherwise you will have some quite thick and hearty stalks and a few weak and weedy ones that are pretty useless. Always do this either in very early spring or in fall after the last cropping.It is also advisable to remove any flowers the rhubarb may produce upon first sighting, as otherwise excess oxalis is produced, making even the stalks potentially toxic and also diverting energy in growing the flower and not on developing nice hearty stalks.

Green thumb wise, rhubarb is otherwise one of those plants that you can plop into the ground and ignore, and it will just geton with it. When we purchasedf this house, I noted there were about 4 rhubarb plants growing int he back garden. They had been there at least 20 years, and in deep need of division as they had tripled the root stock in size due to neglect during the past half decade. Never watered, in heavy soil, and never formally fertilised, we have had so much rhubarb that I have had to give away several ice cream tubs full of each crop. Pests leave this pretty well much alone, no doubt due to the toxins in the leaves being as unsuitable for them as it is for us. I have not even had the dreaded slimy guests bothering these.

I say each crop as Rhubarb will start growing at the very beginning of spring, and its first crop, is often the best, as for a tasty and not so bitter flavour, a good frost is required once it has developed stalks. Rhubarb is ready for harvest when the stalks are shiny and can be removed from the plant with a gentle tug. N EVER cut the stalks, as it can lead to the dreaded crown rot as the resulting stump decomposes. A gentle tug when ready will completely remove the rhubarb and its exposed part of the root complete, which is as it should be.

To use the stalks, wash thoroughly, and trim the stalk about an inch above the root and 1-2 inches below the leaf. This is to reduce exposure to the oxalis in those parts of the plant. You can then chop it into 1 inch peices and freeze as is, or stew it with sugar and make into pies, crumble, add to yogurt, use in a lamb dish, or even freeze the stewed results in ice cube trays for a quick cheat later.

If, like myself, you are not a big fan of the rather tart rhubarb itself, you may find it more appealing with strawberries. Strawberries and rhubarb complement each other fantasticly, and to be quite frank, its the only way rhubarb passes these lips. Suggestions for this combo is limitless: pie, crumble, a custardy ice cream, or even strawberry rhubarb ice lollies made by making up a strawberry milk jelly, adding more liquid that stated so it will only softset, adding the stewed rhubarb, and freezing into ice lolly molds. Delicious!

So, easy to grow, pretty pest free, deorative, and of nutritional and medicinal value. Just watch those kids around it :)

Summary: Anyone want some doobarb? I have plenty to spare....