Locally grown fruit can be hard to come by at this time of year, so the first crop of rhubarb is a welcome addition to the early spring harvest shopping basket and is a delicious filling for crumbles, tarts and pies, or simply served with custard. To prepare rhubarb just remove the leaves, wash and slice the stems into chunks (including the white ‘hoof’ which is the most flavoursome part) add sugar according to taste – approximately 1 part sugar to 10 parts rhubarb, or 1 tablespoon per stem of rhubarb, and a small amount of water – just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Stew on a low heat for approximately 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
Top tip – stew a pan of rhubarb at the start of the week and enjoy every day as a breakfast topping on porridge or muesli – the combination of the sugar and rhubarb’s natural acidity mean it will keep in the fridge for several days.
Did you know? Rhubarb leaves can be used to restore burnt pans – simply shred a large leaf and boil up in the charred pan and it will lift the burnt patch.
Words by Katy Brown (with help from Linda and Isla).