Rhubarb - Crimson
Rhubarb has a very exciting history, and dates back to 2700 B.C. in China where rhubarb was cultivated for medicinal purposes. Rhubarb has been used to cure fevers, taken in times of plagues, forbidden in 1759 by the Qianlong emperor of the Qing dynasty to be exported to the Russians after a border conflict in northern China, and declared by the same emperor that the Western countries (1790) will have to do without rhubarb!
A planting of rhubarb was recorded in Italy in 1608, and about 30 years later in Europe, where it was recorded as a food plant in 1778. The earliest known usage of this beautiful plant as a food appeared as a filling for tarts and pies, and this particular plant was suspected of being a hybrid of the Chinese variety used for medicinal purposes.
According to Clifford Foust in his "The Rhubarb Compendium", explorers, traders, botanists, gardeners, physicians and pharmacists tried with remarkable efforts to adapt rhubarb for convenient use in Europe. Foust's tale is a very intriguing one of how humans and their institutions have been affected by natural realities they do not entirely comprehend. Readers with an interest in medicine, botany or horticulture will be fascinated by this once-perplexing plant: highly valued by physicians for its cathartic (purgative) qualities, rhubarb resisted revealing its active chemical principles, had many widely varying species, and did not breed true to seed.
As a food, rhubarb is only about as old as the US. Around the 1820's rhubarb was appearing in produce markets. Also known as the Pie Plant, rhubarb is used for jams, jellies, syrups, bread puddings, crisps and cobblers - add something sweet to tame the mouth-puckering tartness of rhubarb and it lends itself to numerous desserts.
Rhubarb contains about 25 calories, is fat free and has about one gram of fiber per cup. It also contains Vitamins C and A, and around 100 milligrams of calcium per cup.
Select crips, well-colored stalks, and avoid wilted and oversized product - product tends to be woody and dry. Rhubarb needs to be kept refrigerated, and you can easily freeze fresh, tender stalks by boiling in water for one minute, cooling quickly under running cold water. The blanching process prior to freezing inactivates the enzymes in the rhubarb that may continue to act and cause flavor, color and texture loss during freezing.
Botanically speaking, rhubarb is a vegetable, but is treated as a fruit! It is wonderful in quick breads, cakes, ice sorbet (what a fabulous color rhubarb provides here). Rhubarb sauces and chutneys taste great on many desserts such as pancakes, crepes, waffles and French toast (food fact: french toast originated in the U.S. by a gentleman by the name of French!)
Rhubarb is a great match with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, oranges, peaches, apricots, pears and raisins. It is enhanced by ginger, cinnamon, orange, lime and mint. Mix all of these wonderful items together and enjoy a terrific fresh fruit salad - add honey, maple syrup or another sweetener to calm down any tartness.
Please note that the stalks of rhubarb are the only edible part of the plant - the leaves and roots are poisonous - so trim completely and discard these parts.
Note: Due to the high acid content of fresh rhubarb, always use a non-reactive pan to cook it in - stainless steel, glass or an enamel coated container. Containers such as aluminum or uncoated iron cookware will turn the rhubarb a very unattractive grey color.
Rhubarb has been a staple on the prairies of America for generations. It thrives in the toughest conditions, requires almost no care and annually produces dozens of leaf stalks. Do you know anyone in Minnesota and neighboring states who does not have a patch of rhubarb tucked away in a corner of the garden, near the garage or house? Until our local rhubarb is available, we are happy to offer this terrific crimson rhubarb from our growing partner in Washington State.