Rhubarb

Is a perennial vegetable that grows well in most of the United States. Rhubarb is used in pies, tarts and sauces. Rhubarb should be planted at the end of one side of the garden where it will not be disturbed since it may be productive for five years or more. Half-dozen plants will provide enough rhubarb for a family of four.

There are several different varieties of rhubarb grown all over the world and used in a variety of cooking preparations. One characteristic consistent with all rhubarb is the toxicity of the leaves and roots. The rhubarb leaves contain high amounts of oxalic acid, a toxic and potentially deadly poison. Only the stems are edible, although the first crops were grown for the round pouch of unopened flowers, which was cooked as a delicacy (in northern Asia it is still raised for this purpose).

Nutritionally, it is low in calories and very acidic (pH 3.1). The acid is offset by the addition of sugar, which also increases the calorie count. Rhubarb is 95 percent water and has potassium and a modest amount of vitamin C. Although rhubarb can be tough and stringy, it does not contain a great deal of fiber, only 2 grams per cup. Unfortunately the high calcium content it supplies is bound by oxalic acid and so the body does not easily absorb it. Don\'t count on rhubarb as a source of dietary calcium.

Rhubarb requires the addition of sugar to combat its extreme tartness. The early pink-stems seem to produce the best flavor for cooking. Rhubarb, or \"the pie plant,\" is often considered a fruit, but it is actually a vegetable (leaf stem). It is prized for it\'s mouth-puckering tartness, which adds zest to pies, tarts, cold soups, jam, and a host of other desserts.

Many other flavors are flattered by the sourness of rhubarb. In the US it is most often teamed up with strawberries and baked into pies and tarts. A typical English preparation would use ginger while the French may puree it into a sauce and serve it with fish.
To freeze: Chop into 1/2-inch pieces, spread them on a sheet pan and place in the freezer. Once frozen, slide the rhubarb into heavy-duty plastic freezer bags. Seal tightly and put back into the freezer. Packed this way, rhubarb will keep for up to six months, and can be measured from the freezer bag.

When cooking fresh rhubarb, use a vegetable peeler to remove any brown or scaly spots. Peeling the entire stalk is unnecessary, simply trim the ends and wash and dry the stalks.

Always use a non-reactive pan for cooking this high acid plant. Use anodized aluminum, stainless steel, Teflon coated aluminum or enamel-coated cast iron cookware.

Rhubarb cooked in reactive metal pots (aluminum, iron, and copper) will turn an unappetizing brown color. Metal ions flaking off the pan will interact with acids in the fruit to form brown compounds that darken both the pan and the rhubarb.