Be Careful When Eating Rhubarb – The Leaves Contain Oxalic Acid Which Can Be Toxic

My husband reminisced with me the memories when his mother used to plant Rhubarb in her garden. He recalled eating the bright red stalks raw. I personally never tasted Rhubarb raw. I just knew it was put in fruit pies, jellies, and jams. One day, he went with me to the store and decided to strike up a childhood memory. He saw some rhubarb stalks. So we bought it and took it home. Well, I guess it was bitterer than he recalled as a child. Because when he tasted it, for some reason his recall memory was different than it tasted. However, he decided he wanted to plant rhubarb in our garden. So, I decided to further investigate this plant.

Rhubarb is a vegetable despite what many people believe. Most people think it is a fruit because it is put in jams, jellies, and pies which are dominantly fruit.

Rhubarb dates back to 2700 B.C in China when it was utilized for medicinal purposes. It has been known to benefit stomach ailments and assisting with digestion. In large dosages, it has been known to help constipation. It was not until the late 1700s and early 1800s that it would be promoted in America for culinary use. At the turn of the 1900’s it was known to cure Bacillary Dysentery.

Typically stores and farmers markets sell fresh rhubarb without its leaves. The leaves contain oxalic acid which can be toxic to people and pets. So, if you are harvesting from the garden, make certain you dispose of the broad leaves or it will make you violently sick. When selecting rhubarb, the color does not determine ripeness or flavor. A light pink rhubarb has just as much flavor as the red. You want to select it by its firmness.

Rhubarb is tart and sour and compliments fruit pies, cobblers, and jams. Typically the fruit that is used with it are cherries, strawberries, and apples. One unique combination is putting a strawberry/rhubarb combination over vanilla ice cream for a unique dessert. There is also a savory side to rhubarb. Some cooks will put it in soups and stews.

Rhubarb can be frozen. However, first you should quickly blanch it in boiling water for a minute and dip it quickly in an ice bath. Then immediately, place it in a freezer bag and you can eat it all yearlong.

So now I’ve done the research on facts of rhubarb, I guess I’ll have to research how to make those fruit/rhubarb recipes for when I harvest my rhubarb. Or, I’ll let my husband go down memory lane again eating it raw.