Things to do with rhubarb?

[ScrambledSmegs]

I have a monster rhubarb plant. A very lovely spring-time surprise in our new house. Besides the usual crumble, what can I do with it? Does it freeze?

For 500g of rhubarb:

zest & juice of one orange
2 cardamom pods, with the seeds removed & crushed (just a bash, not powdered)

75g sugar.

Cut rhubarb into chunks about a finger's length & spread on a baking tray.

Scatter cardamom on top & orange zest

Heat the orange juice & dissolve sugar in it & pour over.

Cover with foil & bake at 180C for about 15-20 mins.

Test with a knife to see if tender.

So yummy - especially with cream or greek yog.

I reckon that raw rhubarb freezes as they sell it at my local farm shop.

I would open freeze it on trays & then bag it, to avoid it all sticking together.

Make vodka! We made rhubarb vodka for Christmas presents and everyone loved it and most of them have returned their bottles for a refill this year

Jamie Oliver has a nice rhubarb and ginger compote.

Rhubarb and strawberry is a great combination

Rhubarb clafoutis is delicious. I used this recipe, but there are loads of others out there : www.domesticsluttery.com/2010/03/baking-for-beginners-gluten-free.html?m=1

I always make rhubarb and apple crumble. I freeze the cooked, cooled mixture of rhubarb and apple with uncooked crumble mix on the top and just whack them in the oven when I want a quick pudding.

It freezes really well. It freezes in chunks, and separates easily if you can't be bothered to go to the faff of open freezing - which I can't!

Or it freezes stewed - and I do these in portion sizes so I can just defrost enough for eg, topping a porridge.

Rhubarb muffins, rhubarb tart, rhubarb jam all good...
And it goes super - well with orange, or ginger, or vanilla, or cardamom, or other berries.

Great suggestions, thanks! I like the clafoutis, perfect for PILs visit this weekend. And magimedi I think I might have to do that lovely recipe asap, I was practically drooling as I read it! And thanks for confirming it does freeze well, seems like I might have to do that as this plant is HUGE.

Sadly rhubarb vodka is out, I'm the only person who will happily drink my homemade brews and I've still got about a gallon of marmalade vodka to get through!

I make rhubarb curd which is lush. And then often put that into a pie with fresh strawberries and drizzled dark chocolate on top.

I was coming on to say Rhubarb and Vanilla jam .I am going to be trying rhubarb curd this year

RECIPE ALMA! Pretty please?

Rhubarb instead of apple in Eve's pudding, or use in Eton Mess, or rhubarb fool, or in orange or strawberry jelly, but best of all is rhubarb pie and custard!

It's so nice when the OP comes back on threads like this!!

Smegs - the lovely thing about that recipe is the rhubarb stays in whole chunks (as long as you don't over cook it!) so looks v good as well.

I reckon you could use ginger instead of cardamom if you wanted - some chopped stem ginger & some of it's juice?

Am off to but rhubarb & may even go & get a plant at this rate!

YES ! To rhubarb curd. In a rhubarb meringue pie - mmm. And so pretty!

Do people not come back on Food threads? What a weird thing to do. I've always thanked people if they pass on their ideas or favourite recipes, although I draw the line at photos of my efforts because I'm no food blogger.

And definitely get a rhubarb plant - I messed up because I bought one at the garden centre a few weeks ago, thinking that the old one was dead, and then it came up out of nowhere. Not only that, but it seems to be surrounded by babies. And don't even get me started on the other fruit bushes and fruit trees. I might have to start a cottage industry at this rate.

heyheyheygoodbye rhubarb vodka you say? tell me more! What recipe would you recommend?

Several times I've posted a recipe & had no response.

But I 'know' your name - so was happy to!

(Not in a stalkerish way - its just that scrambled eggs on toast is my favourite comfort food so have always remembered you!)

Its so true magimedi - you sometimes wonder if they have bothered to read , when you don't get a response. I love sharing recipes, but mostly only write them out or copy and paste if asked now.

Rhubarb fool. I think to do it properly you need whip cream or make a custard. My Granny makes a lush one with shop bought vanilla custard (not yellow birds stuff). Stew the rhubarb with some ginger and brown sugar and folds through some thick posh custard (runny wouldnt be great), and leave in the fridge. Maybe 50:50 posh custard and whipped cream would be more voluminous.Yum

We have a rhubarb plant in our new house's garden too but no idea when it should be ready to pick???

Lovely ideas for things to make with our rhubarb plant

That's really lovely, thank you. Although slightly worried at your finding my nn appetising!

So many great rhubarb recipes, thank you all. I'm going to have to try them all really, aren't I?

RT - This page is quite helpful. It says to harvest between May & August but mine is pretty much ready now, thanks to the couple of weeks of lovely weather we've had I think.

Nigel slater has a lovely recipe for rhubarb with sloe gin.

Deffo brill thank you

Our stalks are really little atm so too early for them so imagine June or Julyish time for them then

I grow lots of rhubarb - 3 varieties, so they come out at different times. I have one now that I am starting to pick, then the others follow on, to spread out the cropping. Just start picking when the stalks have started to be long enough to use!

I've never made it ( it's on my 'to-try' list!) but there's a lovely looking rhubarb tart with cream cheese filling in Nigella's 'How to be a domestic goddess'