Simple Recipe Ideas to Use Leftover Rhubarb

This strawberry rhubarb crumble (Cupful of Kale) can be made as is, or just use rhubarb alone, though it won’t be as sweet.

Avoid rhubarb for kidney stones or liver problems (even a history). Check medication , before eating. Keep rhubarb away from pets (due to soluble oxalate crystals). 

Rhubarb is one of England’s favourite fruits (even though it’s not a fruit, it’s actually a seed!) Related to buckwheat, it’s too bitter to eat raw, but cooked it’s delicious with sugar, and just as popular in Scandinavia).

If you’ve never tasted rhubarb, it’s difficult to describe as it is unique. Someone once described it as a cross between a ripe strawberry and a tart Granny Smith apple?

How to Buy & Store Rhubarb

There are two types of rhubarb:

• Forced rhubarb (January to March) is grown in pots in Yorkshire’s ‘rhubarb triangle’ region (Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield). It’s said the eerie ‘cracks’ of the stalks, means you can hear it growing!
• Maincrop rhubarb (March to June) is more tart.

Look for healthy looking rhubarb, often the leaves have already been removed.

Once home, trim off excess leaves and store in a reusable silicone freezer bag (keep it open) or at least cut a few holes inside, to let the rhubarb breathe. Then store in your fridge’s salad crisper drawer.

Today ‘forced rhubarb’ is so popular, that growers outside of Yorkshire are supplying supermarkets, including many from Norfolk.

Due to acids, rhubarb and leaves (along with citrus fruits and all alliums – garlic, onion, shallots, chives and leeks) could harm compost creatures. So just bin scraps, to naturally break down.

How to Prepare & Cook Rhubarb

Rhubarb has to be cooked (discard and bin the leaves).

Bring to the boil in a pot with enough water to cover, then simmer for around 20 minutes. Then stir in sugar (and optional cinnamon). Serve with vegan custard or ice-cream.

More about Yorkshire’s Rhubarb Triangle

Let’s learn more about this, as it’s an interesting story.

• Yorkshire has the ideal soil to grow rhubarb as cold weather up north has no effect (rhubarb is native to Siberia!)
• Years ago, 200 local growers would send their rhubarb via ‘rhubarb trains’ to London’s Covent Garden market.
• The crop has been popular ever since, apart from during the Second World War (when the rationing of sugar, meant it was too bitter to eat).
• The Rhubarb Triangle consists of 9 square miles in West Yorkshire. At one point, the area produced 90% of the world’s winter forced rhubarb, from the sheds near the fields.
• Forced rhubarb is grown in a very special way, without light (even harvesting is done by candlelight, so not to stop growth). Then once harvested, any root stock left is composted.

The novel The Body on the Train (published in 2019) has a plot of a man, whose murdered body is found on a rhubarb train, on arrival in London.

How to clean, chop, and balance tartness

Rinse the stalks under cold water, then trim off the ends. If the stalks feel very stringy, peel off tough fibres with a small knife, much like you would with celery. Most supermarket rhubarb won’t need much peeling.

Chop size depends on what you’re making:

• For compote and jam, go for a small dice (about 1 cm), so it breaks down fast on the hob.
• For roasting and crumbles, cut into 2 to 3 cm pieces, so it softens without turning to mush.

To take the edge off tart rhubarb, you don’t need heaps of sugar. Use a simple “balance kit” instead: sweet fruit (strawberries, apples, oranges), a spoon of maple syrup or caster sugar, chopped dates, and a pinch of salt. Salt sounds odd, but it rounds the flavour.

Then add a booster you already own. Vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, and orange zest all make rhubarb taste fuller and less sharp.

Store it smart: fridge, freeze, and quick batch-cooking basics

If you’ll use rhubarb soon, keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. It’s usually best within about 3 to 5 days. For longer, freeze it.

Freeze raw rhubarb by chopping it, spreading it on a tray, freezing until firm, then tipping into a labelled freezer bag. This stops it freezing into one big lump. You can also freeze cooked compote in small portions, which is handy for quick breakfasts.

15-minute rhubarb compote

You need: chopped rhubarb (about 300 g), 2 to 4 tbsp maple syrup or caster sugar, a splash of water, plus optional grated ginger or orange zest.

Tip everything into a small pan. Add 2 to 3 tbsp water, then simmer on a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Stop when it’s soft, but still a little textured. Taste, then add a bit more sweetener if needed.

Use it straight away, or chill it. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Quick ways to use it:

• Swirl into coconut yoghurt, then top with granola.
• Spoon over porridge, with a pinch of cinnamon.
• Spread on toast with peanut butter or tahini.

Roasted rhubarb and strawberry traybake topping

You need: rhubarb (about 400 g), strawberries (fresh or frozen, about 250 g), 2 to 3 tbsp sugar or maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla, orange zest.

Heat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Add fruit to a roasting tray, sprinkle over sweetener, then add vanilla and zest. Roast for 15 to 25 minutes, stirring once, until soft but not collapsing.

This is a brilliant make-ahead topping because it holds its shape and looks great.

Three easy serving ideas:

• Overnight oats: stir a few spoonfuls through oat and plant milk, then top in the morning.
• Vegan pancakes: warm the fruit and spoon over pancakes with a dollop of yoghurt.
• Chia pudding: layer chia pudding and fruit in a glass for a quick pudding.

Save the pink roasting juices. Stir them into lemonade or sparkling water for a sharp, fruity drink.

One-bowl rhubarb crumble for two

Fruit base: rhubarb plus one sweeter fruit (apple chunks, berries, or a handful of strawberries). Add 1 to 2 tbsp sugar, plus cinnamon or ginger.

Crumble: mix oats, plain flour, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Rub in coconut oil or vegan block until clumpy.

Bake at 190°C (fan 170°C) for about 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbling at the edges. If the top browns too fast, pop a bit of foil loosely over it.

Easy swaps: use gluten-free oats and gluten-free plain flour if needed. Serve warm with vegan custard or oat ice cream.

Flavour Pairings that always work

Rhubarb loves: strawberry, apple, orange, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, almonds, pistachios. A tiny drop of rose water is optional, but go carefully.

When you need a fast dessert, try one of these:

• Fold compote into softly whipped coconut cream.
• Spoon it over vegan cheesecake pots (even shop-bought works).
• Blend frozen rhubarb compote into smoothies for a sharp note.
• Stir roasted juices into sparkling water.
• Top yoghurt with compote, then add granola for crunch.