Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberries Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Does rhubarb need to be cooked before baking? ›

Do You Need to Cook Rhubarb Before Baking? The short answer is no, you don't need to cook rhubarb before baking a rhubarb pie.

Rhubarb, when mixed with strawberries, gives you that sourness to balance the sweetness and the complexity.

"Once you let it simmer, and it's soft, let it sit overnight. Now you have these tender ribbons that you can jar up, or you can put them on anything." Removing the first layer of skin will take away its "rubbery taste" and bring out the stalk's most appealing flavors, and the brown sugar will temper the tartness.

Sweeten It: Rhubarb's natural tartness can be balanced with sugar or other sweeteners. You can make rhubarb compote, pie, or jam by simmering chopped rhubarb with sugar until it becomes tender and sweet. Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste.

Some rhubarb varieties are prone to being stringy, and rhubarb which has been left too long on the plant can also develop a 'stringiness' – if this occurs, pull away any thick, fibrous strands before cooking. Peeling rhubarb is rarely necessary.

Rhubarb leaves do contain oxalic acid, which can cause issues with joint pain and in high enough doses can also cause kidney failure. Raw rhubarb stems can be eaten in small quantities (although they are very sour) but it's generally recommended that they're cooked.

While cinnamon may be a more common spice to pair with rhubarb, citrusy, herbal cardamon lends a warm, citrusy note to a dish. A big pinch of ground cardamom can be added to any cake, pie, or compote, or you can simply add a little to the whipped cream you'll be topping your rhubarb dessert with.

Rhubarb is a vegetable often thought to be a fruit. There's actually a good reason for this confusion: in 1947 the USDA classified it as a fruit because the tariffs on bringing fruits into the country were lower on fruits than vegetables. In actuality though, rhubarb is a vegetable - a member of the buckwheat family.

To keep it sugar free you could use a little stevia, for a low fructose option you could use either rice syrup or coconut nectar, or if you're a honey fan, a little raw honey would combine beautifully with the ginger and vanilla.

Depending on your location, rhubarb is typically available from early spring (the end of March or early April) to late spring or early summer (around May or June). Since fresh rhubarb is almost always available in April, it's a common choice for Passover and Easter desserts, as well as other spring celebrations.

Which is sweeter red or green rhubarb? ›

Contrary to popular belief, whether it's red, pink, green or something in-between, rhubarb's color has nothing to do with ripeness. Rather, its hue is completely determined by genes; different varieties produce different colors, and green rhubarbs are just as sweet as red ones.

The perennial plant is a member of the Polygonaceae family and is widely grown outside and in hot greenhouses (hothouses). Rhubarb can be a healthy addition to your diet because it is naturally low in sugar and high in fiber. Many recipes that include rhubarb are desserts and can sometimes be high in sugar.

To poach rhubarb:

Scatter with sugar, add a splash of water and simmer gently for 8 minutes until soft and longer to cook it to a puree or compote.

Stick to the stems if you're eating rhubarb raw—the leaves are poisonous. I repeat: Rhubarb leaves are poisonous. The leaves contain oxalic acid, which can be fatal to both people and pets if consumed in large amounts.

To prepare: Wash the stems and cut off the leaves and the ends. Cut into 2cm lengths, removing any strings if necessary. Stew or poach in some water and a little sugar. When making a crumble or a pie, the rhubarb does not need to be cooked first.