Use What You’ve Got: Rhubarb #SaveItSunday

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A couple of months ago, I wrote here about how my garden was very much in need of some “TLC”. Well, my dear husband and I have been working steadily each weekend since then to get everything in tip top shape: I am so happy to say we’re almost done! I am looking forward to sharing photos of our “garden makeover” soon because it’s looking seriously great.

One of the first things to pop up in my garden was the rhubarb.

Rhubarb is a perennial that grows well where I live: I’ve got two plants that have been producing quite nicely these past few years. I just today harvested some of my rhubarb for the first time this spring, so this #SAVEITSUNDAY post is also going to be the first in a series I am calling “Use What You’ve Got.” This isn’t going to be a structured series or anything…just a way for me to occasionally round up some of my own recipes (along with recipes from other sites) to give you ideas for how to use your homegrown or store-bought produce.

And in an effort to help you cut down on your food waste, I’ll also be highlighting the storage of said produce: I’d hate to see you have to toss or compost your produce before you get to use it because it wasn’t stored in the best possible way!

cut rhubarb | healthy green kitchen

When it comes to storage: Glad recommends that whole stalks of rhubarb should be kept unwashed in an open bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. To store cut rhubarb, remove tough ends, then cut the fruit into 1- to 2-inch pieces and place in a container, like GladWare, sized to fit.

cut rhubarb in container | healthy green kitchen

Seal with lid and store in the refrigerator. Fresh rhubarb may last up to a week, but most likely about 4 days. Do not wash the stalks until just before use, and please remember that the leaves are not edible-they contain toxic amounts of oxalic acid-so be sure not to consume those.

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but most people do think of it as a fruit and use it in desserts. I myself have used it mostly in sweet recipes such as:

Baked Rhubarb with Blackberries and Vanilla
Rhubarb and Pistachios over Thick Yogurt
Blueberry Lavender Rhubarb Jam
Rhubarb Lemon Balm Margarita

Other sweet ways to use rhubarb from other bloggers:

Rhubarb Ginger Shrub Cocktail (Tuja Wellness)
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler (Live Simply)
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie (Pure Ella)
Hibiscus Strawberry Rhubarb Tea (Gourmande in the Kitchen
Honey Lemon Strawberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake (Bakeaholic Mama)

But don’t think you can’t go savory…I was inspired by a recipe in the new book Fruitful: Four Seasons of Fresh Fruit Recipes to put rhubarb in a salad! I roasted some that I’d drizzled with olive oil and maple syrup and added it to greens from my garden along with goat cheese, pistachios, and a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and a little maple syrup):

roasted rhubarb salad | healthy green kitchen

Here are a few more savory ideas:

Curried Lentils and Rhubarb Chutney (Naturally Ella
Roasted Salmon with Rhubarb and Red Cabbage (Epicurious)
Spicy Chicken Thighs with Rhubarb Cucumber Salsa (Bon Appetit)

{If you are interested in growing rhubarb, know that it appreciates cold winters and spring weather that’s not too hot: it grows very well in areas such as the Northeastern US and Canada. If you live in an area that’s appropriate for growing rhubarb, the easiest way to get some going in your garden is to plant “crowns”: young, yet established, plants. It’s best to hold off on picking your rhubarb stems the first year after planting, and the following year, pick for only about 2 weeks. After that, you can pick for up to 2 months, or until the stalks become small. Try to harvest only the larger stalks on the plant and don’t harvest the entire plant; if your rhubarb “bolts” (flowers), you can still enjoy the stalks (though it’s good to know why it’s bolting so you can prevent it (more info on bolting rhubarb here).}

Be sure to check out what my fellow #SAVEITSUNDAY bloggers are up to:

Visit Kristin/The Frugal Girl
Visit Mavis/100 Dollars a Month

To learn more about Glad and #SAVEITSUNDAY, follow Glad on Social Media:

Glad on Facebook
Glad on Twitter
Glad on Instagram

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Glad in conjunction with their #SAVEITSUNDAY program. With #SAVEITSUNDAY, Glad hopes to educate the public about the consequences of food waste, and I am proud to be a part of the program. I am being compensated to share my #SAVEITSUNDAY experiences; all opinions are 100% my own.

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