Its that time of year again! If you have rhubarb in your garden or have ever seen it in a garden, youll know that it is the most feel good plant ever in springtime!
Its huge green leaves are a very welcome sight to see after a long winter. The plant comes up and grows so fast that it makes you feel like youre gardening already! And good at it! Right?
So before having kids I think we must have kept rhubarb around for that very reason. It made me feel like I was a good gardener to see its vigorous dark green leaves before there was any other food in our gardens, green or otherwise.
Plus it is practically impossible to kill, which is a great feature for convincing yourself you have a green thumb!
As you know if youre a parent or a grandparent, kids teach us so much, and my daughter Harriet taught me how good rhubarb really is to eat (not just look at, haha)!
And now well cut to the chase so you can answer the question, “What do you do with rhubarb besides pie?” Because! Rhubarb can give you an ego-boost in the kitchen, too, because it is so fun and interesting and different and unexpected! Try it!
Rhubarb stalks are one of the joys of spring. Their tart tangy flavor adds brightness to both sweet and savory dishes. But what exactly should you do with rhubarb stalks besides pie? Here are 10 delicious ways to use up this seasonal treat.
1. Rhubarb Sauce
One of the easiest ways to use rhubarb stalks is to make a simple sauce. All you need is chopped rhubarb, sugar, and a little water. Cook the rhubarb with the sugar and water over medium heat until soft and saucy. Adjust the sugar to taste. Serve the rhubarb sauce warm over ice cream or chilled with yogurt for a tasty spring dessert.
2. Rhubarb Jam
For an easy refrigerator jam, cook chopped rhubarb with sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice until thickened. The natural pectin in rhubarb helps it gel up. You can also add chopped strawberries or raspberries to make a mixed fruit jam. jars to store in the fridge or freezer.
3. Bake into Muffins or Bread
Chopped rhubarb makes a fantastic addition to baked goods like muffins and quick breads. The tartness balances out the sweetness. Try mixing rhubarb into banana bread, zucchini bread, or bran muffins. The pretty pink flecks look lovely in the batter!
4. Rhubarb Crumble
For a simple old-fashioned dessert, layer chopped rhubarb in a baking dish, sprinkle with sugar, and top with a streusel crumble mixture. Baked until bubbly and golden, the sweet crunchy topping contrasts beautifully with the soft tart rhubarb. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
5. Sweet & Tangy Chutney
Cook chopped rhubarb with onions, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, vinegar, and spices to make a sweet-tangy chutney. It’s delicious served with pork, chicken, or spread on sandwiches.
6. Rhubarb Kimchi
Rhubarb’s tartness works wonderfully in this Korean fermented condiment. Thinly slice rhubarb stalks and mix with spices like ginger, chili flakes, garlic, and fish sauce in an airtight jar to ferment for a week. Unique and delicious!
7. Rhubarb Barbeque Sauce
Puree cooked rhubarb and mix it with tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, onion, and spices to make a zesty barbeque sauce for grilled meats or vegetables. The rhubarb adds tangy flavor.
8. Smoothies & Juice
Add chopped rhubarb and frozen strawberries to your smoothie for a nutrition boost. You can also juice rhubarb stalks with apples, carrots, and ginger for a tart refreshing drink.
9. Savory Rhubarb Relish
For a relish to pair with fish, poultry, or meat, saute chopped rhubarb and onions, then stir in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and herbs. Chill before serving.
10. Pickled Rhubarb
Thinly slice raw rhubarb stalks and quick pickle them in a brine of vinegar, sugar, and spices. Crisp, tangy pickled rhubarb is delicious in salads or sandwiches.
Rhubarb’s intense tartness mellows considerably during cooking. Try using it in both sweet and savory preparations. You may find you have a new favorite spring ingredient! With so many possibilities beyond pie, from chutneys to barbecue sauce, you’ll enjoy discovering innovative ways to use up bountiful rhubarb stalks.
Fun new rhubarb recipes to help you go beyond pie
Now, dont get me wrong, Im not knocking rhubarb pie. Yum! Anyone remember Prairie Home Companion and the little ditty: “Mamas little baby loves rhubarb rhubarb, beebopareebop rhubarb pie”?
Anyway, but there are sooo many other good fun delicious recipes for rhubarb! And I want to encourage you to venture out!
Absolutely! My daughter taught me this. When she was one years old, she was getting her first year molars, and wanting to chew on everything, including whole rhubarb stalks. What?? Yes theyre tangy and sour, but refreshing! And now my younger daughter does it, too!
Really young pieces you can harvest and eat raw as is. If theyre bigger, peel the red skin off and chomp away. Heres a recipe for using rhubarb in salad:
Rhubarb, Lettuce, and Radish Salad
- 1 large rhubarb stalk, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
- Lettuce handfuls, chopped, to taste
- 5 radishes, cut into ¼” wedges
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Feta cheese, crumbled, to taste
- Fresh mint leaves, minced, to taste
- Fresh lovage leaves, minced, to taste (optional)
- Vinaigrette dressing of choice
Toss all ingredients together and top with a simple vinaigrette dressing.
Totally! Rhubarb is delicious used in a savory fashion either in a sauce or in a chutney to go with your main dish meats. I have cooked this sauce recipe with a pork roast or country ribs. So good!
This is great with pork, chicken, fish, or even with rice and stir-fry! Ooooh baby!
Rhubarb Sauce for Meats
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- hot pepper of choice (optional), chipotle or cayenne or other smoked pepper like paprika, to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 cups peeled and chopped rhubarb
- sweetener of choice, to taste (maple syrup, sugar, honey, etc.)
In sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute, stirring for 1 minute. Add hot pepper, salt and pepper, rhubarb and a little water to prevent sticking (start with 1 tablespoon). Cook stirring until rhubarb is completely tender. Sweeten to taste.
Tangy Rhubarb Chutney
- 2 TBLS apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBLS balsamic vinegar
- 1 TBLS maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated, to taste
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 small scallion, chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, chopped (optional)
- rhubarb, peeled and chopped, roughly 2-3 large stalks
Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan. Simmer approximately 20 minutes until tender. Serve hot or chilled in fridge.
Oh yes! Check out these two gems of recipes below.
Grilled Rhubarb
- Rhubarb stalks, cut into 2″ chunks
- sugar to taste
Put rhubarb into a bowl and sprinkle liberally with sugar. Toss and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Place on a grill rack on a hot grill. Grill 5 minutes and flip for another approximately 5 minutes. Rhubarb should be soft but not fallen apart.
Serve with meats or fish or just as a side dish to whatever youre having. Or with ice cream!? Yum!
Roasted Rhubarb Salad
- 2 cups rhubarb, cut into ¼” slices
- 1-2 TBLS each honey and balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups greens, chopped
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup nuts or seeds of choice, chopped
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 TBLS vinegar (apple cider, or your choice)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450. Toss rhubarb with honey and balsamic to coat. Spread in single layer on baking sheet and roast for 8-10 min. Toss greens, carrots, scallions, cheese and nuts. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and dress salad. Add rhubarb and serve.
For all of you folks who have a sourdough starter and dont always know what to do with it!
Dutch pancake with Rhubarb and Apples
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- fresh ginger root, minced, to taste (I used approximately 2 teaspoons)
- 8 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 stalks rhubarb, peeled and sliced into 3/4″ pieces
- cinnamon to taste
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup sourdough starter (320 grams)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or more to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Saute the apples and ginger in 2 T butter until beginning to soften. Add rhubarb and cinnamon and stir for another 2 minutes. Mix eggs, sourdough starter, milk, salt and maple syrup together in bowl. Add apple mixture and mix. Melt butter in 9×13″ dish. Add batter to dish and bake 15-20 minutes. Delicious for breakfast or anytime of day!
Yes, thats right! All of our veggie-obsessed members get together in there and give each other ideas and inspiration! Heres just a list and you can search for recipes online for these:
- Strawberry rhubarb jam
- Rhubarb bread
- Strawberry rhubarb crisp
- Rhubarb pineapple jam
- Fermented rhubarb salsa
- Rhubarb sauce over ice cream
- BBQ sauce with rhubarb
- Rhubarb-orange marmalade
- Quick pickled rhubarb
- Rhubarb syrup
- Rhubarb-mint jam
- Rhubarb buttermilk pudding
- Rhubarb lime ginger kraut (my next foray!!!)
What to do with rhubarb flower stalks
FAQ
What can I do with rhubarb stalks?
Rhubarb is a truly special ingredient. With its vivid pink colour and distinctively tangy taste, it can be stewed, poached, roasted and puréed in a range of dishes as well as drinks. Use it in a comforting crumble, a classic syllabub, a fruity chutney or a zingy kebab sauce – the possibilities are endless.
When should you not pick rhubarb anymore?
You should generally stop harvesting rhubarb by the end of June or early July. After this point, the stalks can become tough, woody, and less flavorful as the plant focuses on storing energy for the next season.
Can I freeze fresh rhubarb for later use?
Can you grow a rhubarb plant from a stalk?
No !! rhubarb will not root from a stem cutting, the stem is the only edible part of a rhubarb plant. Do not eat the leaves, as they are poisonous. If you want more rhubarb plants, divide the entire crown of the plant.