Food

Food Information

Vegetables

RHUBARB

In ancient China rhubarb was used for medicinal purposes, and even asrecently as our colonial times it was believed to cure tired blood.

Rhubarb wasn't recognized as a food until about three hundred years ago.Just as the tomato is a fruit but is referred to as a vegetable, the rhubarbis a vegetable but is thought of as a fruit. It is used in pies and saucesand is especially good when cooked with strawberries. In some areas of theUnited States rhubarb is known as the pieplant.

There are two types of Rhubarb: outdoor and hothouse. Outdoor rhubarb comesin season in spring and lasts until fall. The stalks are often more greenthan red and have large, floppy, green leaves. It is quite coarse in textureand often stringy. It is also very tart and requires lots of sugar. Thehothouse variety, which is produced in California, Oregon, and Michiganarrives in January and winds up in June. It is either cherry-red or blushing-pink.Some hothouse rhubarb have bright yellow leaves and are particularly attractive.It is not as stringy as outdoor rhubarb, has a milder flavor, and requiresless sugar. Rhubarb leaves, which are toxic, should never be eaten.

Fresh rhubarb can be easily identified by its firm and erect stalks. Whenit's not fresh, the stalks are limp and floppy.

WHEN TO BUY: January through August
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Firm, erect stalks
HOW TO STORE: Refrigerate immediately after purchase


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