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RHUBARB

Hi have inherited a fan rhubarb plant in my new garden but have no idea how or when to pick it can anyone help thank you x

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Posts

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Pull a stem backwards from the plant and it should come away easily at the bottom.  Only remove a few stalks at a time from each plant; the remaining stalks will develop over the Spring/Summer.  Stop pulling stalks in July to let the plant gain strength.

    Remove any flower heads, they will be obvious.

    To prepare for cooking; cut off the leaf at the top of the stalk, the leaves are poisonous, put them on the compost.  Cut off the bottom of the stem so you get a nice straight stem for cooking.  Cut into chunks, discarding any strings which come away when you chop the stems.  Very nice cooked with the zest of an orange.  No liquid required if you do it in the microwave.  Do not overcook or it will go to a mush. Pie, crumble, fool.  Yum, yum.  

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10500/?utm_expid=13353178-7&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F 

    My favourite rhubarb recipe image

     

    Give it a good mulch with manure or compost in the autumn - the rhubarb plant that is, not the cake image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619

    Oooh, I'm going to try that cake today...sounds yummy!

  • thank you all x

  • Gold1locksGold1locks Posts: 498

    I picked some sturdy stems the other day, first of the season. They were mainly green, just a bit of red, and were less sweet than rhubarb I have bought in the past, which had more red on them. Does the colour make a difference to taste, and if I had left them longer would the stems have got redder and sweeter?

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    No, the colour depends on variety and also whether the rhubarb has been forced - if the rhubarb you bought in the past was red without any green colouring at all it is likely to have been forced which will also make it a bit sweeter.

    http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/fruit-and-vegetables/how-to-force-rhubarb/276.html

     


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Gold1locksGold1locks Posts: 498

    Many thanks! I will pick some more today - adding a tad more sugar. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    It's delicious roasted in the oven with a little butter and a sprinkling of some muscovado sugar image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Rhubarb crumble..one of the greatest inventions ever... custard or cream?

    Custard for me image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Ice cream.yummy, I prefer warmed rhubarb, made into a compote, or stew,  with the addition of brown sugar and a light touch of ginger.

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