How to harvest Rhubarb & encourage continued growth…

Plus, I’ll share my favorite gluten-free Rhubarb recipe!

Rhubarb, to me, is somewhat of a forgotten crop. It’s one of a few I would call “vintage”, along with persimmons and gooseberries. These are crops my grandma would have cooked with that many today may not be familiar with. Maybe it’s just me, but I think rhubarb has an old-fashioned feel to it. It’s nostalgic. That’s one of the many reasons I love it.

I also love that rhubarb is a perennial. Plant it once, and with proper care, it will continue to produce for years. Below are a few tips that will help your rhubarb plants survive and thrive!

1. Wait a year after planting your rhubarb before harvesting any stems. This will allow your plant to become established and give it a better chance of surviving long term. Only harvest a few stems the second year. Your patience will pay off in the long run.
2. Cut the flowers from your rhubarb as soon as you see them. While the flowers won’t cause any harm, cutting them will allow the plant to focus all of its energy on the stalks, which is what you will harvest to eat.
3. Cut off and discard the leaves. Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid which can cause a number of health issues if eaten.
4. Do not cut the stalks! The proper way to harvest rhubarb is to grab the stalk firmly near the base of the plant, twist and pull. This encourages the plant to keep producing more stalks, which results in more for you!
5. Wait until your rhubarb stalks are about 10 inches long before you pick them. Also, make sure not to take too many stalks from one plant at a time. Leave a few in order to feed the plant and encourage more to grow.
6. Slow or halt your harvest in early July in order to give your rhubarb plants an opportunity to store plenty of energy for the winter.

While rhubarb is a vegetable, it is used more like a fruit and can be found mostly in dessert recipes. It is especially delicious when paired with strawberries. My favorite rhubarb recipe is called Rhubarb Crunch. It is easily adapted to be gluten-free, too! I would love to share it with you.
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