Marrison: The history and benefits of spring rhubarb, plus rhubarb blueberry crisp recipe
As a kid, the first plant I would see poking up around the shed at Grandpa’s farm was rhubarb. Each spring the leaves would grow large and the stalks would grow long as the first tiny wildflowers began appearing in the yard. Because rhubarb is a perennial plant, it was not kept in the garden. It had its own special bed.
According to the Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, Growing Rhubarb in the Home Garden, rhubarb was initially grown in the Far East for medicinal purposes more than 2,000 years ago. Around the 18th century, the British and Americans began to use it in culinary dishes. We have the perfect weather for it here in Ohio. It requires winter temperatures below 40 degrees to break dormancy and stimulate spring growth. It also needs summer temps that average less than 75 degrees.
The leafstalks are edible, but the leaves should not be eaten. If you’ve ever heard rhubarb is poisonous, it is true that the leaves contain oxalic acid. Many fruits and vegetables contain oxalic acid naturally. You would have to consume a few pounds of rhubarb leaves to be lethal.
We grow our rhubarb plants in a raised garden bed. Though it is clearly a vegetable, we tend to treat it more like a fruit when we consume it. Like many fruits, rhubarb contains anthocyanins, which are a type of antioxidant. The American Institute for Cancer Research says anthocyanins have demonstrated protective effects on blood vessels and blood pressure and recent research suggests anthocyanins may offer anti-cancer benefits too.
In addition to these health qualities, a half cup of cooked rhubarb provides more than one-third of the recommended dietary intake of Vitamin K1. And it gives us two grams of fiber, which helps prevent colorectal cancer, as well as calcium and Vitamin C.
If you have an overabundance of rhubarb, it is easy to freeze. Wash, trim and cut into one-inch lengths. Heat rhubarb in boiling water one minute and then place promptly in cool water to help retain color and flavor. Then it can be packed into containers and covered with cold 40% syrup. Or it can be packed dry without syrup or sugar.
Many times, rhubarb will be paired with a sweet fruit to balance the natural tartness of rhubarb. Here is a delicious recipe from MyPlate.gov.
Rhubarb Blueberry Crisp
Makes: Nine servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes for preparation and 45 minutes cook time
Ingredients
Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
Fruit Filling:
3 cups chopped rhubarb
3 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup 100% fruit juice (any type)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Wash hands with soap and water.
Preheat oven to 350 °F.
In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and oats. Mix in the margarine or butter and set aside.
Spread the rhubarb and blueberries in an 8x8 inch baking dish and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, mix cornstarch and sugar and stir in the juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring all the time, until the mixture has thickened. Turn off the heat.
Stir in vanilla and pour the mixture over the rhubarb and blueberries.
Crumble oat mixture on top of the fruit.
Bake for 45 minutes or until topping is browned and fruit is bubbling at edges. Serve warm or cold.
Today, I’ll leave you with this quote from Judith Fertig: “I loved rhubarb, that hardy, underappreciated garden survivor that leafed out just as the worst of winter melted away.”
Emily Marrison is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 740-622-2265.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: The history and benefits of spring rhubarb, which thrives in Ohio
