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Monday, May 26. 2014

Rhubarb

Re-posted because I failed to follow my own instructions and my rhubarb patch bolted. Dealt with it today - a bit too late.




I am a fan of Rhubarb. It's tangy. Best rhubarb dish? Rhubarb cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.


Rhubarb won't grow much in the southern US. It requires cold winters and does not enjoy long, hot summers. A good thing about the plants is that they are perennial and last for many years. In fact, a rhubarb patch will last forever if you divide the plants every few years. They are fairly heavy feeders and like a good dose of manure regularly. The leaves are so dense that a patch doesn't really grow weeds.


When I was a kid, my Mom had the rhubarb patch right outside the horse barn, and she would routinely toss some horse poop on it. The fresh poop did not seem to bother the rhubarb.


The only problem I have had with growing rhubarb is its bolting and rapidly going to seed. That needs to be prevented by cutting off the flowering stalks promptly before they grow tall.


Tips for growing rhubarb


Often, people add strawberries to rhubarb. I think it's a sin to dilute the pure rhubarb flavor. Lots of rhubarb recipes



Posted by Bird Dog in Food and Drink, Gardens, Plants, etc., Our Essays at 14:44 | Comments (20) | Trackbacks (0)

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I think it's a sin to dilute the pure rhubarb flavor.

What about that scoop of vanilla ice cream?
#1 chuck on 2013-06-16 14:43 (Reply)
I don't know about strawberries being a sin but I think that ice cream may be medically necessary. I had some PHD types over and when the pies came out one eyed the rhubarb suspiciously and mentioned a rhubarb induced attack of kidney stones. No problem another said - just drink a glass of milk with your pie. Milk is good but certainly Ice cream or whipped cream will ensure eager consumption such that a spectrometric excess of calcium will be present and good mixing will take place. Not that I doubted them but here's an article on the subject. http://www.healthpages.co.nz/news/diseases-a-conditions/your-mother-is-right-its-good-to-eat-rhubarb-with-custard
#1.1 Karen on 2013-06-16 15:28 (Reply)
ooops darn spell checker - Stoiciometric excess :)
#1.1.1 Karen on 2013-06-16 15:30 (Reply)
My grandmother Elsie used to make us rhubarb pie fresh from the garden.

Haven't had anything comparable in decades.

Thanks for the reminder.
#2 Whitehall on 2013-06-16 14:48 (Reply)
Rhubarb seems to do well in the hot Nebraska Summers.

A lot of people really like it.

Rhubarb is a perennial. There was a patch of rhubarb on the place where I live that had been growing for over 50 years when I moved here.
#3 feeblemind on 2013-06-16 15:13 (Reply)
For shame - strawberry rhubarb pie is Manna from Heaven. As it peach rhubarb pie. Or rhubarb apple pie. Or any fruit rhubarb pie. Rhubarb pie is 'da bomb, don't get me wrong, but adding some natural sweetness to it makes it much more delectable.

My Mom used to have a huge rhubarb patch and tended it daily. She was a master at cooking it. I can remember as a child sitting at the table and eating the rhubarb pie filling right out of the bowl - nectar doesn't even begin to describe that.

Sadly, I haven't had rhubarb pie, or strawberry rhubarb pie, in a long time. The Mrs. doesn't do pies and you can't find them pre-made or baked in the store anywhere. Make them yourself you say? I would except that I'm probably the only person you know who can burn water. Seriously.
#4 Tom Francis on 2013-06-16 15:16 (Reply)
I have combined rhubarb with other fruit- though I don't particularly like rhubarb w strawberry.

You might try purchasing a crust from the store. Though it is easier to burn a crust than it is to burn water. :)
#4.1 Gringo on 2013-06-16 16:50 (Reply)
My parents had rhubarb patch, so we enjoyed homemade rhubarb pie with homegrown rhubarb. Can't beat that.

As I recall, the rhubarb patch required minimal maintenance.

As I do not have a rhubarb patch, I purchase rhubarb. Frozen is much cheaper than fresh, so I purchase frozen.
#5 Gringo on 2013-06-16 15:17 (Reply)
Putting strawberries with rhubarb is an abomination against God and nature. The delicate strawberry needs to hold centre stage all by itself to thoroughly enjoy it's heavenly flavour. And rhubarb is show stopper that will not take a back seat to any strawberry. Divided they stand, united they fall.
#6 Laura on 2013-06-16 19:01 (Reply)
Near saw rhubarb until I went home with my future wife over a week-end from college. Her Mother had just made two rhubarb custard pies. I fell in love--with her daughter and with rhubarb custard pies. We've been married 52 years this summer and there are two fresh rhubarb custard pies in the fridge as I write this.
#7 PYDOG on 2013-06-17 00:29 (Reply)
At the risk of being banned from the site, I like strawberry-rhubarb pie.

My grandparents had a big patch of rhubarb in their yard (central Ohio, of course). Haven't had rhubarb much since being a kid.
#8 DrTorch on 2013-06-17 08:18 (Reply)
Last year I made strawberry-rhubarb jab from our patch in the yard. Best jam of the season. Hope to repeat shortly--strawberries are slow to come in this year in MA.
#9 Cathy J on 2013-06-17 10:30 (Reply)
So glad this came up this morning! Ok, here is the problem--local law enforcement (building code society) asked the question: how many people will be living in your new house? To which I responded TWO (2) to which they responded--you need a drain field big enough for 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms! The end result is that our very, very, very large drain field takes up most of the yard space that is sheltered with a filtered light and some sun. Because we have the newest, most sophisticated drain field we also have drain lines with canopies. I believe there is about 3 feet of dirt on top of the canopies. QUESTION: do you folks think I can safely plant rhubarb on the 10 ft perimeter (edge of drain field) without sucking up harmful ingredients? I sure love rhubarb and this is approximately the place our old aunt had her field and it was great. She even taught me to make the most glorious pie crust, the practice of which I consider to be as important as weekly exercise! ;-)
Canned rhubarb on top of toast in the winter--love it! RHubarb/strawberry pie--yeah! Now, can I plant them over the you know what?
#10 apple pie on 2013-06-17 10:56 (Reply)
Bee bop a ree bop...

Me favorite chef baked me one rhubarb pie to date this year which pie had the best flaky butter crust.

mmm...

Christina gave last Sunday a jar from her pantry of cherry rhubarb jam put up a year ago.


mmm...
#11 Leag on 2013-06-17 13:10 (Reply)
Used to find it growing wild on creek banks when I was a kid.

Nothing better than skidding your bikes to a stop on a dirt road, climbing down the creek bank and snacking on some raw rhubarb.
#12 B Moe on 2013-06-17 14:15 (Reply)
Tips on growing rhubarb? Are you kidding? Its trying to take over the world. You can't stop it from growing!
#13 pbird on 2013-06-17 21:18 (Reply)
Dannon Activia makes a rhubarb yogurt sold in the UK. I tend to gorge on it when I am there.
#14 missred on 2014-05-26 15:38 (Reply)
Rhubarb is one of the few things that grows well in northern England....good stuff.
#15 Thud (Link) on 2014-05-26 16:57 (Reply)
I hate it when the rhubarb bolts. It's harder to catch than a headless chicken.
#16 JKB on 2014-05-26 20:04 (Reply)
nasty, nasty, weed.
#17 J.T. Wenting on 2014-05-26 23:00 (Reply)

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