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Historically
rhubarb dates to 2,700 B.C. in China, where the roots
were used to cleanse impurities from the body. The fibrous
stalks made their way to America as food by the 18th century,
and their popularity spread rapidly.
Although you have probably enjoyed rhubarb in pies and
cobblers, it is actually not a fruit. It is the leaf stalk,
or petiole, of the rhubarb plant that is eaten. Rhubarb
is a perennial, which means you plant it once and every
summer it gives back in spades, dies down in fall and
emerges again in spring. It is high in vitamin C and fiber.
Local potter Liz Farr says she and her family would know
grandpa was a bit constipated when he’d grumble,
“Give me some of that rhubarb pie, Ma.”
Watch those leaves
Rhubarb has a distinct tart taste, which is usually augmented
with sugar or sweet fruits. The leaves contain oxalic
acid and are considered poisonous; a fact that herbalist
Melanie Rose says was once common knowledge but probably
lost around the time sheep stopped their spring migration
through my neighborhood. It is OK to put rhubarb leaves
on your compost pile; they’re good for tanning hides;
or, as Farr suggests, press them into clay to make leaf-patterned
plates.
A no-brainer
Once established, rhubarb is easy to grow. I do not baby
my rhubarb. In fact, I barely water it, never fertilize
it and generally pay it little attention except during
harvest, which starts as early as mid-May (mid-June in
Silverton) and extends through July. However, visiting
my friend in late August last year, I was surprised to
see her rhubarb still bright red and harvestable. The
secret, I learned, was that she amply watered her lovely
rhubarb plants and placed compost around their bases.
I will never neglect my rhubarb again. Rhubarb thrives
at high elevations and northern climes. Stalk production
is heaviest when temperatures are between 70 and 80 degrees.
Production slows in the hottest months. If you keep cutting
the flower stalks, which are quite impressive, you may
get a second harvest in late August and September.
Rhubarb root crowns can be bought at any local nursery
and planted in a sunny, well-drained spot with room to
expand. Rhubarb shouldn’t be harvested its first
year in the ground, so that it can retain all its energy.
But by the second year, one should get a few pies out
of each plant. Production will increase each year.
How sweet it is
“It’s that pie thing,” San Juan Mountain
Nursery offers as explanation for why it sells out of
rhubarb plants each year. Yes, pie is often where it starts,
but if you’re blessed with your own rhubarb patch
and unlimited creative license, the possibilities are
endless. Rhubarb goes great with meat, throw it right
in the stew pot and let it boil down to a tart, pink sauce.
Small pieces of raw rhubarb enliven green salads. Its
flavor blends well with other fruits, and combining it
with sweeter fruits cuts down on the need to add large
amounts of sugar.
When harvesting rhubarb, leave the knife behind. Rhubarb
can be pulled gently from its base and you will know when
you have a clean pull because of the low “thwunk”
you’ll hear and the satisfying feeling of pulling
the stalk right out of its sheath. Harvesting in this
manner will encourage growth. Don’t harvest more
than half of any one plant at a time, and pull only the
stalks that are the reddest.
Rhubarb can be stored in the refrigerator for several
weeks or cut into pieces and frozen.
– Rachel Turiel
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