Harvesting Rhubarb
When Justin and I purchased our home we made a huge mistake when we had the lawyer write up the agreement. We failed to mention that we (I mean, really it was me, who am I kidding?) were pumped about the house coming with rhubarb and that we’d like to keep it that way. My Gram always had two huge rhubarb patches and I was over to moon about having my own. I’d never done anything with it but was excited to learn.
The day after we received the keys, I meandered out through our brand new lawn to admire the apple tree and to harvest some rhubarb. What I stumbled across was shocking, no, it was devastating. The rhubarb was gone. Just a few days before, the plant had been huge, leafy, healthy, and ready for harvesting. Now all that was left was tiny, shriveled stubs where happiness once grew.
That evening I called my Gram to report the tragic news. She laughed, as she always did at my dramatics, and assured me that rhubarb is a hearty plant and that it would grow back. That weekend we drove “home” to show Gram photos of the house. When we arrived, she grabbed her walking stick (which I’m pretty sure was just an old broomstick, but that’s why it had charm!) and dragged me out to the garden.
That afternoon Gram gave me a bag full of rhubarb to take home and my first lesson in growing my own. Here are the questions that I asked Gram:
When is it ready?
Rhubarb color does not change color as it ripens. In fact, you’ll want to determine when to harvest your rhubarb by looking at the size of the stalks. Look for stalks that are about 1/2 inch wide and anywhere from 6-15 inches long. You’ll notice that I used a 14-inch unused paint stirrer to give me a rough idea.
How do I harvest it?
You’ll also notice that some of my cut stalks are much larger than 1/2 inch wide. They needed to be cut so that the plant can stay healthy and can continue to grow. This means that when you’re harvesting, you’ll work on removing stalks from the outside of the plant first. By following this simple rule, you’ll likely even get for another harvest each season by doing it this way.
Heirloom Tip: If you can’t grab the stalk and easily pull it out by the root, cut each stalk as close to the ground as you can. I always use a very sharp knife. Easy enough, right?
What's next?
Remove the leaves before you take the rhubarb inside to prep for your recipe or for preserving. As you likely know, rhubarb leaves are poisonous, so save yourself a trip to the composter by removing them directly after harvest. I lob them off with my knife on the spot and away I go!
If your plant starts to bolt (grow flower stalks), cut them off at the base. This will keep the smaller stalks that still need to grow tender and perfect for that mid-season pie!
Do I harvest the whole plant at once?
As you harvest your rhubarb, it’s a good rule of thumb to leave at least 1/3-1/2 of the plant intact at all times. Like all of us, rhubarb likes to store energy to make it through cold winters. Leaving part of the plant will help it to keep on coming back to life every year!
How can I keep my rhubarb healthy?
Don’t be afraid to add some compost to your rhubarb at the end of the season. Our rhubarb plant is right on the edge of our apple tree. Someone was thinking ahead when they planted this rhubarb because the apples we can’t get around to harvesting often fall and decompose in and around the rhubarb. Thanks, Mother Nature!
The season is so short, how do I enjoy my harvest later?
Rhubarb is easy to preserve. You can freeze it, can it or if you don't feel like doing either, you can share it with someone who doesn’t have a plant of their own! I didn’t have time to can mine this year, so I decided to freeze it. It’s very easy to do. I cleaned each stalk in a bowl of warm water with a drop of Young Living Thieves essential oil.
After rinsing, I let it drain in a colander and then diced each stalk. Then I tossed the rhubarb into freezer bags, ensuring each bag was flat for optimal freezer storing.
What do I make with the rhubarb?
Rhubarb is versatile and easy to cook and bake with. It is also quite tart, so you'll often see it married with something sweet, like berries or apples. There are so many recipes out there, but I like to keep mine simple. You can make rhubarb sauce for topping ice cream or to drizzle on cupcakes, bake it into pies, strudels, and galettes.
You can even eat it raw with a sprinkle of salt (This was my first time trying this and it was delicious! Thanks for the recommendation, Jill!).
Rhubarb is fun to grow if you're just getting started with gardening. It's low maintenance and is a summer staple in our part of the country. It's packed with minerals and vitamins that can help our bodies in so many ways (it'll help you poop!). If you have a chance to use rhubarb this year, feel free to share your ideas here or on my Facebook page at The Heirloom Lady.