Most of us refer to rhubarb as a fruit, but it is actually a vegetable. A vegetable about which there are many exciting things to report.
We have been eating rhubarb for around 150 years. However, the vegetable was already used as a medicine in China 5000 years ago. In Latin, the name means "rheum barbarum", from the barbarians, which dates back to the time when rhubarb became popular in the Russian Tsarist Empire.
The versatile vegetable
Only the stalks of the plant should be used, the leaves should never be eaten as they are poisonous. Rhubarb comes in different varieties and flavors. Stalks with green flesh taste rather sour on the tongue, whereas the red flesh has a mild flavor. In the kitchen, rhubarb can be combined with a wide variety of foods. Cinnamon, curry, onions, honey and lamb are just a small selection.
Oxalic acid
It is important to know that rhubarb contains a lot of oxalic acid and can therefore be poisonous. Rhubarb should always be cooked to reduce the oxalic acid content. Always peel the stalks and cut off the leaves at the top and the end of the stalk at the bottom. Oxalic acid promotes the formation of urinary stones, especially if we consume little calcium in our diet and at the same time take in a lot of oxalic acid. It is therefore recommended to combine rhubarb with a calcium-rich food, such as yogurt. In general, however, you should avoid rhubarb if you suffer from kidney stones or form kidney stones very quickly. The oxalic acid content increases steadily during the season, which is why you should not harvest rhubarb after June 24. The main harvest period is from April to June.
Rhubarb and culinary delights
Rhubarb is an all-rounder in the kitchen. Try using rhubarb as a vegetable side dish with salmon. Let yourself be inspired here. Or how about savory rhubarb slices? You can also make a delicious iced tea, the recipe is included here.
Storing rhubarb
The plant contains an acid that can attack aluminum. The dissolved aluminum can enter your body if the rhubarb is stored incorrectly. Therefore, do not cover rhubarb with aluminum foil and store it in aluminum-free containers.
Rhubarb is an exciting and versatile vegetable that grows undemandingly in the garden. It is important that you inform yourself about the plant. Then nothing will stand in your way of enjoying culinary delights in the kitchen.
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