Today is rhubarb day.
Last night on a whim I looked up the name listed in the plat book of the owner of a semi-abandoned farm. Their patch of rhubarb was starting to bolt and it looked like a person could fill a truck with juicy stalks from that one patch if they had a mind to. I figured it didn't hurt to ask and I had nothing to lose.
He answered my call. And he told me to take all we wanted. He said he planted the patch 30 years ago and recently moved to town. He doesn't like rhubarb, so no, no need to bring him a pie. It was a rhubarb goldmine.
Since it was already getting late (well, late in our world – 6:30 PM) I got the kids ready for bed and we piled into the car at the time we should would normally be moving towards a book in bed. We headed out of town to the old farm.
We arrived after 7:00. In PJ's the kids cut and pulled and laughed and played in that old farm yard. We had a blast. We filled bag after bag with juicy stalks. I finally cut off their harvest, lest we overfill the freezer (or maybe my trunk) in one short evening. As I loaded the rhubarb into my trunk and saw the bags all heaped on top of one another it felt the tiniest bit like hoarding. But it felt a whole lot like putting food by for the year. In the end we half-filled the trunk of my Beetle. That's a lot of pies.
Today if you need us we'll be in the kitchen. We'll be making a gluten-free/GAPS rhubarb crisp, a big pot of rhubarb sauce, and plenty of slicing and freezing to last us the rest of the year. We also plan to juice a ton of rhubarb to make soda syrup and perhaps also serve as a local lemon juice substitute in recipes.
What is your favorite way to enjoy rhubarb? Believe me – we're looking for suggestions. 25 pounds Thirty-three pounds of rhubarb leaves plenty of room for experimenting. What do you suggest?
What an amazing find! And you don’t have to deal with the rhubarb plants the size of your beetle taking up the whole garden! 🙂
Us? I freeze a lot for crisps/pies/muffins all winter-not to mention to mix it with the strawberries when they come. Rhubarb ginger jam (rhubarb and ginger are made for each other). Rhubarb ginger syrup (to make an amazing lemonade). Rhubarb compote, which isn’t as sweet…great with poultry. And then of course the rhubarb granita, rhubarb ice cream, rhubarb custard. Ohhhh, soooooo gooooood! 🙂
Wow that’s awesome! From my one plant so far this year we’ve made bread, muffins and cake. I’m hoping to try a sauce or jam if I can collect enough. Would love to try your recipes if they are favorites!
Ooh, the rhubarb syrup with sparkling water is THE BEST (other than pies, of course).
one of my faves is rhubarb cordial. . .but I am LOVING the idea of making rhubarb syrup for sparkling water. Any guess how long the syrup will keep??
That’s extremely awesome! You never know what you might get simply by asking.
I don’t have any rhubarb available to me right now, but when I was a teenager my mom used to make stewed rhubarb, and I would top it with this really crunchy mixed berry granola that she would buy. It was so yummy!
We love rhubarb crisp and rhubarb muffins, and I’ve also used it in punch before.
Ok. So I did a tiny bit of research on the syrup and am thinking of actually canning some! Do you know how to use the least amount of sweetener (for preservative) and still be able to can it up to last?
I don’t even have taste rhubarb ever, sorry!
Wow! What a haul! I will be keeping my eyes open now as I drive around my rural community. Lots of old farms like that here, too. We like Strawberry Rhubard Pie. And crisp.
BTW–Just harvested my first nettle from the patch just outside the backdoor. Drying it for tea. Thanks again for the recipes! Hope you get around to more “weed” posts. We’ve just discovered we have Cow Parsnip on our property and there’s tons of fresh cress here. If the skies clear I’m going looking for morels tomorrow.
Recently purchased The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin. Several rhubarb recipes including rhubarb ketchup! Have yet to try this recipe but looking forward to it!
I am very interested to know how you are making a GAPS friendly pie! Hope to hear all about it!
just took a gluten-free rhubarb crisp out of the oven! i’m not good at following recipes … i usually just make up my own. here are the ingredients:
water
honey
vanilla
cornstarch
rhubarb
topping:
rolled oats
quinoa flakes
coconut flour
nutmeg
cinnamon
brown sugar(could easily use honey)
melted butter
enjoy!!
Well come on over!
Rachel
I dont but maybe this will help. (Scroll down.) http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/culinary
Also using the pressure canner if you are limiting the sugar would be best.
Rachel
Hi Jonah Lisa,
I was just reading about cow parsnips edible nature. So is wild/poison parsnip. Who knew?! That one is an escaped garden plant if you believe it. Glad you are eating your nettles. We just made nettle chai today. Yum! I added watercress to my latest batch of saurkraut and also nettle and ramps. So delicious!
Peace,
Rachel
Sounds so good Katie! Unfortunately (for this recipe anyhow) we are also off all grains including corn, quinoa, oats, etc. I have to figure out a good GAPS thickener. May be egg yolks…
~ Rachel
Lovely!
Rachel
Agreed!
Rachel
Lynne,
Thinking about a rhubarb custard pie with egg yolks to thicken… Ill let you know how it works!
~ Rachel
I will!
~ Rachel
LOVING the ginger suggestion. Of course! *(And we made your dandelion lemonade. Fabulous!).
~ Rachel
I’m going to do some lacto-fermentation with it tomorrow and possibly a grain/dairy-free clafouti tonight.
Shannon, you sound like my kind of girl. Ive been thinking lacto-fermented but cant decide with what. What did you decide? And the clafouti sounds like heaven. Do report back!
~ Rachel
This looks GADS friendly, although maybe you already made something like it…oh it’s not letting me direct link because it’s a chat forum. If I copy/paste it will be a long post. Maybe I should just email it?
It’s a rhubarb dessert.
We make muffins, breads, cookies, pies (we use our apple pie recipe and just replace with rhubarb), and tarts. They all include grains tho!
Melanie,
You should be able to link. Try chopping off the http:// if not, PM me at rachel at lusaorganics dot com. Thanks!
~ Rachel
Rhubarb mousse is fantastic! As is Soulemama’s Ruby June. My favorite ways to enjoy rhubarb. Enjoy your bountiful harvest.
Mousse! Brilliant.
~ Rachel
Interesting stuff. Not sure were gonna like it–like most Americans super bitter is not my favorite, even though I knows it such an appropriate quality for this season. About once every week or two we have pizza Smoothie night. I make a whole wheat pizza dough and top it with sauce, spinach, wild mushrooms and mozzarella. Im planning to sub the nettles on our next one for a Wild Pizza Night!
Also, posting tomorrow on my first nettle experience with link to your helpful intro! Keep em coming!
It is sour but not bitter. Nothing a little honey (or sugar) doesnt balance out. So glad you are enjoying the nettles!
Blessings,
Rachel
Hey Rachel
You mentioned the yogurt for the rhubarb muffins, but it doesn’t appear in the actual recipe. Am I missing something. Gonna make these tomorrow.
Em
Ah. Yes. We eat them with the yogurt. Side dish.
xo
Rachel