harvesting rhubarb
 

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, and for how long?
I can't wait to start making rhubarb and ginger jam.

TIA

Cat(h)

harvesting rhubarb
 

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.

Janet.

harvesting rhubarb
 

"Cat(h)" wrote in message
oups.com...
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, and for how long?

Now, and as long as it contiues to produce stalks.

I can't wait to start making rhubarb and ginger jam.

I usually just stew it and eat it from there!

Alan

harvesting rhubarb
 

--
Derby, England.

Don't try to email me using "REPLY" as the email address is NoSpam. Our
email address is "thewoodies2 at ntlworld dot com"


"Cat(h)" wrote in message
oups.com...
This is now its (rhubarb's)
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....

Our rhubarb grows by the small pond at the front of the rockery and it is
like a patch of gunnera but you can it eat too!!!!

Sue W.

harvesting rhubarb
 

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.

harvesting rhubarb
 

Alan Holmes wrote:
"Cat(h)" wrote in message
oups.com...
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, and for how long?

Now, and as long as it contiues to produce stalks.

I can't wait to start making rhubarb and ginger jam.

I usually just stew it and eat it from there!

Alan

Thanks Alan (and Janet, and Sue) for your responses.

Cat(h)

harvesting rhubarb
 

Sue wrote:
--
Derby, England.

Don't try to email me using "REPLY" as the email address is NoSpam. Our
email address is "thewoodies2 at ntlworld dot com"


"Cat(h)" wrote in message
oups.com...
This is now its (rhubarb's)
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....

Our rhubarb grows by the small pond at the front of the rockery and it is
like a patch of gunnera but you can it eat too!!!!


My gunnera is a plant I fell in love with in a friend's garden, which
is shaded and has a little stream going past. The plant has its feet
in boggy ground, and in mid summer it is a good3 to 4 m high, with
leaves 1.50m across. I just love its sheer exoticism.
So, I bought myself one, and planted it in a bed where it would look
wonderful if it gave it its all - but that's kind of tricky on well
drained soil in full sun :-( Oh, and I guess the rather harsher
winters here than in my friend's place on the edges of Cork harbour
makes a difference too :-(((
I know this is a daft thing to do, and will probably be rapped on the
knuckles here for cruelty to plants...
Still, it looks ok, like a slightly small and prickly rhubarb...

Cat(h)