Articles
Preserve It! Giving Thought to Rhubarb!
By Laurie Lewis, UCCE Master Food Preserver of El Dorado County
published in the Mountain Democrat April 3, 2024
Many consider rhubarb an old-fashioned fruit, calling it the “pie plant.” However, rhubarb is a vegetable, belonging to the buckwheat family. This confusion began in 1947 when (through a legal decision) the USDA classified it as a fruit because the tariffs on bringing fruits into the country were lower than for vegetables.
Rhubarb makes a perfect perennial spring plant to grow in the foothills. It needs cold temperatures below 40 degrees F to produce stalks, but only grows when the temperatures average less than 75 degrees F. After patiently waiting two years for the plant and roots to establish, you can begin to harvest. One plant will provide enough for any family. This vegetable is rich in antioxidants, especially anthocyanins (which give the stocks its red color). It’s a bit overwhelming coming up with recipes to use the scores of rhubarb stalks one plant produces. So, let’s talk about a unique type of jam, the conserve, as one way to preserve rhubarb.