True confession time: the last time I can recall eating stewed rhubarb was the night before I gave birth to my son. I was 2 days over my due date, it was August in Ontario, Canada (if you know, you know), and I was completely over being a whale a walking refrigerator a weeble pregnant. I thought the rhubarb might get something started, and…my son was born at 930am the next morning. So all hail the power of rhubarb! Actually, my daughter was also born exactly 2 days past my expected date too, and no rhubarb was involved. But let’s give kudos and credit to the all-knowing, all-powerful rhubarb!
Anyhoodle! Flash forward to the present day (almost 39 years later), and I finally have gotten around to stewing my own rhubarb from my own garden again. I can’t explain the long break other than to say I had somehow convinced myself that I didn’t like rhubarb and since I had no pregnancy to push (pardon the pun 😉) to conclusion, there was no need to eat any! Gentle reader, how wrong I was…
This spring I rediscovered this amazing plant (conveniently growing in my backyard) and have been on a bit of a rhubarb tear, ever since.
I have also discovered the wonder that is a rhubarb crisp.
Rhubarb is such a tough and amazing plant – you’ll know just how tough it is if you ever try to remove it from your yard, like my son-in-law is trying with his rhubarb patch It’s not that he doesn’t like rhubarb – he just wants to put something else in that prime growing location. Good luck with that, SIL!
How do you feel about the wonderful spring tonic that is rhubarb? How do you use it, if you do?
Please tell all in the Comments! This month my lovely co-host Donna has gone walkies so you just get me and no link party either, as that is her area of expertise. Sorry, eh! 🇨🇦
Rock on,
The WB
I can’t say I’m a huge rhubarb fan. Though if it’s camouflaged in strawberry pie I can deal.
😉
I didn’t think I was either, but I’m glad I gave it another try and now I am a convert! Thanks, Rivergirl 💕
Hey Deb, Thanks for the tribute to rhubarb. i love rhubarb. I have happy kid memories of pulling a stalk from my mom’s garden and dipping it in a bowl of sugar with each bite. We often had stewed rhubarb for dessert with a little vanilla ice cream, also rhubarb crisp. But the best was when my mom made her Rhubarb custard pie. That was a treat.
I proudly have a family rhubarb plant that has moved from its origins in Saskatchewan to Winnipeg to Burlington ON, then Toronto to Oakville and now surviving in Victoria PEI. This hardy plant is over 100 years old.
Brenda
Prairie girl – Rhubarb lover
Wow! That’s some hardy rhubarb. I hope to see your PEI rhubarb in person one day. Thanks for chiming in, Brenda 💕. Lovely to hear from you!
I love love rhubarb … I asked my uncle, whom I spent ten years looking after – visiting only … but being there for him – whether he had rhubarb – I hadn’t seen any … so thought there wasn’t any. I was somewhat shocked to hear him say he hated the stuff! … and when they’d moved into the house … he’d covered the rhubarb patch with a huge compost heap – it never reappeared!!!
My brother and SIL have rhubarb … and they use it the way I would … lots of crumbles, if necessary mixed with other fruits abounding … apples and hedgerow blackberries. A friend give me some rhubarb sticks and I thoroughly that treat. As kids we’d have had rhubarb with junket … a childhood memory from our Surrey garden. Now I want rhubarb – preferably with clotted cream – the Cornish treat! Cheers Hilary
Oh, with clotted cream! That sounds truly wonderful. Now I have to find out where to source clotted cream here on the island…thank you, Hilary 💕
Yum. I’ve recently learned that rhubarb is a vegetable, not a fruit. Besides the standard pie, galette & crisp, I also juice rhubarb.
4 c chopped rhubarb
4 c water
1/2 c sugar or to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 c orange juice (I use 1 can of frozen concentrated citrus juice, whatever’s on hand)
Boil rhubarb & water until rhubarb is soft. Strain. Add sugar & juice.
This can be used immediately. Excellent with ginger ale or 7Up.
I pour hot juice into jars to seal & enjoy through the winter as well.
This can also be frozen.
This is a big hit with the neighbor’s teenage boy. He asks for it whenever he stops by & even asked his mom to make some after having it here the first time.
Ooooh! I’ve thought about making a rhubarb cordial or concentrate to add to other drinks or a punch but didn’t have a recipe. Now I do thanks to you, Mona 💕
No a rhubarb fan even doused in strawberry puree! The plant is amazing though. Tough and spreading!
It is amazing and very hard to get rid of, once in the garden!!! Thankfully, I found out I really do like it 🤣. Thanks, Kate 💕
I adore rhubarb but it’s almost impossible to find here, both the fresh and frozen kind. I’m drooling looking at your photos. I do enjoy an Aperol and Soda every so often, it’s the easiest way for me to get a taste of rhubarb.
I do love me an Aperol spritz and thanks to you for connecting the dots…now I know why! Thanks, Ally 💕 Do you have room for a rhubarb plant in your yard? They are so easy to grow (and incredibly hard to kill, but why would you want to?! 🤣)
We have room to grow it but deer eat it. Neighbors tried to grow rhubarb but it got munched. Occasionally I see it frozen in upscale groceries so I buy it then.
Oh no!!!!
If tyou want me to put up a link for you on my page, I can? No worries if you don’t. I can get it up as soon as you say so? Otherwise, this is my post for #WBOYP https://pandoraandmax.blogspot.com/2024/05/mothers-day.html As for your post, I’m a bit mad for Rhubarb crumble! Yum! (I think that’s what you call Crisp?….)
Yes, crumble…crisp…all the deliciously the same! No need to put up a link (unless you really want to) but thank you for the offer. That’s Donna’s thing, not mine. I confess I never go to check on the link party (yes, I am a baaad blogger). Thanks, Lydia 💕
Not a fan, and we don’t see much of it in Florida, so I have to think it might be a colder climate plant?? My friend who lives in Chicago grows it by the bucketfulls and swears by her rhubarb crisp.
I believe you are correct. For us, it is one of the first harvests of the spring and was a welcome sight at the time when we couldn’t get fresh fruit and vegetables all year ‘round, like we can now. Thanks, Suzanne 💕
I think I’ve only had rhubarb once, in a pie. I remember being pleasantly surprised at how sweet it was (probably thanks to a ton of sugar). Anyway, apparently, I didn’t like it enough to seek out more.
You have an abundance of fresh delicious fruit and vegetables year-round to choose from where you live, Janis. Very lucky! Rhubarb would be no biggie, I think! Here in the northern latitudes, rhubarb coming up is a beautiful sign of spring and our abundance to come. Thanks 💕
Rhubarb is one of my favorite kinds of pie. We used to grow it but because of the sugar needed in all they rhubarb recipes I don’t eat it anymore.
It does need some sugar! Thanks, Jean 💕
Lucky you! Rhubarb either thrives or it whimpers. If I had a thriver, I would experiment with chicken and pork dishes…
Oh, interesting! I bet it would be delicious. Thanks, Rachel 💕
Goodness, I keep forgetting to make/post anything although I’m far from starving. This looks absolutely scrumptious – thank you! 💕
You are most welcome! Thanks, Del 💕
Hi Deb, I’ve not had rhubarb since I was a child which is too long ago to remember! Your dessert looks delicious and I like the idea of greek yogurt which is a favourite of mine plus it’s healthy. I’ve written about a Success and A Flop for my husband’s birthday dinner for this month’s WOYP?
Thank you, Sue 💕. I’ll look up your post!
I think I might suddenly become a rhubarb fan. Great post!
Thank you, my friend! 💕 Happy walkies!!!!
Sorry eh!! Too funny. I love rhubarb and eat it all year long by freezing loads of it. I stew mine with saskatoons and all 3 grandkids love it as much as me.
Great idea about stewing it with saskatoons!!! Will be stealing this one 😉. Thanks, Bernie 💕
That’s OK. I “stole” it from a prairie author who used to blog. Amy Jo Ehman (rabbit hole to find her name!)