Season: what you want to know about rhubarb

This pink stalk is a versatile all-rounder. It is a vegetable, but many people consider it a fruit. You can use the stalks in sweet and savory dishes or, for example, make lemonade from them. A mini-guide to this wonderful, super-delicious stalk.

Season and harvest

Rhubarb crumble has been a fixture in the displays of trendy coffee shops since spring. The rhubarb season runs from (late) March to (late) June. For the vegetable garden hobbyist: you should always harvest rhubarb carefully. Pull the stalks out of the ground; never cut them off. If you cut off the stalks, the part left behind in the ground will rot. There is a good chance you have given your plant a death sentence.

Sourness

The characteristic sour taste of rhubarb comes from the oxalic acid it contains. The younger the stalks, the less oxalic acid they contain. Rhubarb becomes increasingly sour later in the season. The leaf stalks taste best when they are two to four weeks old. Because of its very sour taste, sugar or honey is often added. Rhubarb tastes much less sour when cold. So if you want to prepare rhubarb with little or no sugar, make sure you serve it chilled.

Green and red rhubarb

There are different types of rhubarb. Some varieties have red stalks (such as Frambozenrood and Miesa), while others are green (Victoria and Goliath). Only the red varieties are eaten fresh. The green varieties are used in the canning industry. The stalks do not need to be peeled. If you peel rhubarb, it turns green during cooking. Unpeeled cooked rhubarb has a red color. Do not eat the leaves. They are bitter and also contain a great deal of oxalic acid.

Preparation

Rhubarb can be eaten hot or cold. Tip: cook rhubarb in a stainless-steel pan, not an aluminum pan. Because of the oxalic acid in rhubarb, its color turns gray during cooking.

Shelf life

It is best to store fresh rhubarb wrapped in a clean tea towel in the refrigerator. This way, it will keep for about a week. Preserved rhubarb can of course be kept for much longer.

Pairings

Rhubarb works well as a side dish, but also as a dessert or in pastries such as pie. Rhubarb is delicious in combination with strawberries, berries, vanilla and ginger.

Calcium
You can add a teaspoon of purified chalk to rhubarb when cooking it (you can buy this at the pharmacy). When your body takes in oxalic acid, it needs to be broken down. Your body does this using calcium present in the body. When you eat rhubarb, calcium is extracted from your body. Extra calcium neutralizes the effect of oxalic acid. The vegetable is also rich in iron and potassium. In addition, rhubarb contains many vitamins, such as B1, B2, B6 and vitamin C. Because of its relatively high fiber content, rhubarb is also good for digestion.