Rhubarb packs a healthy punch!

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable and part of the Buckwheat Botanical Family (Polygoncea), though we mostly use it with or as a “fruit”.  More importantly, rhubarb has some wonderful health benefits. It is loaded with fiber and vitamin K, which helps build strong bones and blood clotting. It is also loaded with specific antioxidants whose compounds are anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer.

Of course these benefits are only in the stalks. The leaves are high in toxins and an unsafe concentration of oxalic acid  and should not be consumed. I feel really bad for the people who had to find that out the hard way.

Rhubarb likes to grow in the cooler weather and does not like the heat of summer. But this beautiful bush-like plant gives beautiful Fall color if allowed to grow. Its sour flavor, much like the sourness of cranberries, does go well in savory recipes. It can make a nice sauce for rich meats, providing balance in flavor. Store your rhubarb in the refrigerator in a produce bag to help retain moisture and give it that cool climate it prefers. 

Slice your rhubarb in ½ inch or ¼ inch slices and add it to a saucepan with a few tablespoons of water and sugar, if using in a sweet recipe. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat and give it an occasional stir. These fibrous slices will quickly break down and turn into an applesauce like consistency. Though rhubarb can be eaten raw, it’s sourness and aggressively fibrous strands make it not as enjoyable as its delightful cooked mouthfeel. Cooked and sweetened rhubarb is there perfect pair for strawberries. They are flavor best friends. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is iconic for a reason. But take this dynamic duo into cake and breakfast muffins, scones. Or easiest of all, make a quick jam of it and enjoy it on toast every morning until the blueberries arrive!