Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message .com
from "Cat(h)" contains these words:

My rhubarb was purchased as plants in 1.5litre pots (approx) and
planted last Feb 12 months - and to quote one of the regulars here, it
got the complete dead cow treatment at the time, and a further treat of
top mulch with home made compost three weeks ago. This is now its
second season in my garden, and it is absolutely flourishing in a
ginormous kind of way - making my badly located gunnera look like a
prickly alchemilla.... But never mind that.
How soon can I start cropping my rhubarb,

several weeks ago :-)

and for how long?

Just this year, go fairly easy because it's still quite new. You
should still be able to harvest a third of the stems. In later years,
you can cut much harder, just leave it a few of the tougher looking
stems.

After the end of June, the oxalic acid level rises and from that
point on it will a) taste more bitter and b) shouldn't be fed to babies
at all, and best avoided by anyone elderly, or with arthritis or damaged
kidneys .

Rhubarb recipes;

Smear raspberry jam round the base of a shallow dish. Rinse dry and
chop some rhubarb into the dish. Sprinkle with a little sugar. Make a
sponge mixture with 2 oz SR flour, 2 oz ground almonds, 4 oz sugar 4 oz
margarine and two eggs , spread on top, sprinkle generously with
slivered almonds and bake until golden and the rhubarb is cooked.

Heat rhubarb with sugar and no water until it collapses in its own
jiuce. Use this instead of water, to make up a packet of raspberry jelly
(which melts fast in the hot rhubarb). Cool and set in fridge. Children
love this .

If you're stewing rhubarb, adding a fresh unbroken leaf of sweet
cicely will much reduce the amount of sugar required. Retrieve the leaf
before serving.

Janet.


thanks for the advice, and the delicious sounding recipes, Janet!

Cat(h)
Janet.