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Rhubarb Revealed
By Pailin Chongchitnant

How can you tell the summer is coming? When you see a deep ruby red patch in the vegetable section of your grocery store—yes, rhubarb is here. Many people still haven’t the faintest clue as to what to do with this bizarre looking vegetable. Or…IS it a vegetable?

Rhubarb and its Health Benefits
Although most commonly used in desserts (hence its nickname “pie plant”) rhubarb is a vegetable and not a fruit. It has a very sour taste, and therefore is rarely eaten fresh. Despite its luscious green leaves, only the stalks are edible due to the toxic level of oxalic acid in the leaves. The roots can also be used as herbal medicine for digestive benefits which include its laxative property and its stimulation of fat digestion by increasing bile salt secretion. It is high in fibre and vitamin C, and low in calories and fat, as can be seen in the nutrition facts below.

Amount per serving 1/2 cup diced
Calories 13 Calories from fat 1
% Daily Value
Total fat 0 g 0%
Saturated fat 0 g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0 g
Monounsaturated fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 2.5 mg 0%
Total Carbohydrates 2.7 g 1%
Dietary Fibre 1.1 g 4%
Sugars 0.6 g
Protein 0.5 g
Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 8%
Calcium 5% Iron 0%
How to Choose Rhubarb?
Many varieties exist ranging in color from the common deep red we often see in supermarkets to pink and even green. Choose stalks that are crisp which is a sign of freshness. Rhubarb that has been sitting on the shelf for a while can get a little soft. Within the same variety, the deeper the red the tastier it tends to be, and medium-sized diameter stalks are more tender then thicker ones, which can be stringy. However, some varieties (such as Victoria rhubarb) are naturally green but are sweeter than the red.

Storing Rhubarb
Stalks can be refrigerated unwashed and wrapped tightly for up to 3 weeks, or it can be frozen. To retain color and flavour, before freezing, heat rhubarb in boiling water for 1 minute then immediately dump the stalks in ice cold water.

Cooking with Rhubarb
Rhubarb needs to be sweetened to temper its tartness, which is why it is most often used in desserts such as pies, tarts, ice cream sauces, jams, cakes, muffins, etc. It can, however, also be used to make salads, dressings, soups, and even drinks! 1 lb. of fresh rhubarb yields 3/4 cup when cooked. Stand the stalks in cold water for an hour before cooking to refresh them.
For a fruity vinaigrette, for example, try cooking chopped rhubarb with strawberries and sugar, then puree the mixture and whisk in oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Or for a salad, cook rhubarb and sugar, leave the pieces whole, strain off the juice and put the pieces into a bed of spinach. Save the juice to make a vinaigrette. For a summery rhubarb cocktail, try mushing rhubarb cooked with sugar through a strainer, then mix with juices of your choice!