Rhubarb is In- Now what?

Mockingbird

Mockingbird

Veteran
Joined
13 Dec 2014
Local time
11:48 AM
Messages
39
Location
New York
Finally I am getting the joy of things from the ground to eat. I just stopped by my dad's and he gave me some rhubarb which I promptly took home and juiced a portion of. The rest I sliced up and put in a freezer bag, but now I am thinking maybe I should have cooked it down or blanched it first. Did I make a terrible mistake? I hope not because this years was very good, I am thinking a nice pie maybe on the weekend menu, i just wanted to slow down the vitamin loss. What really is the best way to store rhubarb?
 
MMMMMMMMM Rhubarb/strawberry pie!! One of my favorites. I will also make up the filling and cook it,, then spoon it over ice cream or pound or angle food cake. It is just so yummy. I am pretty much the only rhubarb eater in my house so if I make I pie, I am eating it everyday for a week, but that is fine with me. When used as an ice cream or cake topping, it can be frozen so it is available in the winter months when I want something to remind me of Spring!
 
At home we so rhubarb picke roasted rhubarb with honey orange and port
And we just cooked rhubarb and ginger jam
At work we do loads of deserts with rhubarb , sorbets , terrines,bakewells to name a few
 
Mockingbird said:
Finally I am getting the joy of things from the ground to eat. I just stopped by my dad's and he gave me some rhubarb which I promptly took home and juiced a portion of. The rest I sliced up and put in a freezer bag, but now I am thinking maybe I should have cooked it down or blanched it first. Did I make a terrible mistake? I hope not because this years was very good, I am thinking a nice pie maybe on the weekend menu, i just wanted to slow down the vitamin loss. What really is the best way to store rhubarb?
Click to expand...

I love the stuff. I find it keeps very well (at least a week when I bought some recently) so I wouldn't bother to freeze it unless I had loads of it. If its freshly picked, I think it would last even longer. I think you are supposed to blanch before freezing to stop enzyme actions and kill bacteria - but, honestly, if you are going to use the rhubarb soon, it won't make any difference, because the enzymes and bacteria won't have time to act.
 
I love the stuff and it will also be another thing I plant as soon as I have a garden of my own again.
I have to confess I have never heard of anyone juicing rhubarb though!
I usually only part cooked it before freezing any excess, but I can't see that it will do any harm freezing it as it. It just seems to take up less room when it is partially cooked and then frozen. But as others have said, if you picked it yesterday and plan to use it tomorrow, I would have just put it in the fridge and left it at that.
 
When I moved to live with my husband in their ancestral home, his father had that rhubarb plant. I don't really remember if it was a bush or a vine but I remember the color purple or dark red. My father in law would always mention his rhubarb and all along I thought it was an ornamental plant. It was a surprise when he made a harvest for making a jam. Yes, a rhubarb jam.
 
Corzhens said:
When I moved to live with my husband in their ancestral home, his father had that rhubarb plant. I don't really remember if it was a bush or a vine but I remember the color purple or dark red. My father in law would always mention his rhubarb and all along I thought it was an ornamental plant. It was a surprise when he made a harvest for making a jam. Yes, a rhubarb jam.
Click to expand...
Rhubarb looks like this in the ground.

3547963421_a55e0c3bf9.jpg
 
We do not know it as a bush or vine to me it is referred to as a crown......not sure why
 
I've never been a fan of rhubarb and that's a shame considering how abundant it seems to be in my neck of the woods. However, I suspect that I feel this way because I've never had it cooked properly. It's always seemed flavourless and stringy to me. Is that usual?
 
missbishi said:
I've never been a fan of rhubarb and that's a shame considering how abundant it seems to be in my neck of the woods. However, I suspect that I feel this way because I've never had it cooked properly. It's always seemed flavourless and stringy to me. Is that usual?
Click to expand...

Stringy is possible (if its a bit old) but flavourless? Its got a really intensely sour taste which has to be counteracted with something sweet. Usually sugar, but I use Truvia for a seriously low calorie treat (rhubarb itself is very low cal - its the sugar which bumps up the cals). You can also use maple syrup or honey. Once the sugar element kicks in, the flavour becomes fascinating - strawberry notes, a hint of cooking apple. Its complex and, to my mind, quite unlike any other flavour. Even over-cooked, it retains flavour, so I'm struggling to imagine what happened to the rhubarb in your case! Try adding a little ginger...

Its easy to overcook it, and if the rhubarb is a rather thick stemmed and elderly, it will turn into a sort of stringy pulp if you overcook. Baking it works quite well, though I usually poach it in virtually no water (it soon produces liquid of its own) and then keep a close eye on it, catching it whilst it still retains its integrity but is soft, all through. Its quite quick to cook. Do try it again... :D
 
missbishi said:
I've never been a fan of rhubarb and that's a shame considering how abundant it seems to be in my neck of the woods. However, I suspect that I feel this way because I've never had it cooked properly. It's always seemed flavourless and stringy to me. Is that usual?
Click to expand...
Oh my days , stringy and tasteless, no way !peel the out side and roast it down with orange ,port honey and cardamom , chill serve with crime fraiche , wow it's a dessert and a half, granted it has to have sugar or sweetness to avoid that lip kissing taste , the early forced rhubarb is the business , it's sweeter
 
I usually cook it first and then freeze it, or just eat it straight away. I think you can freeze it raw though. There are many things you can do with rhubarb beyond crumbles and pies. Try making a compote to eat with plain yoghurt for breakfast. Rhubarb also works well with duck, one of my favourite meats. Use rhubarb to make a fruity sauce to accompany the meal. Other suggestions include jams and a rhubarb fool. It is a rather tart ingredient to use, so you will need some sugar or honey when you cook it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom