Is rhubarb a vegetable or fruit? It is a perennial plant that is actually a vegetable but we tend to cook it with other fruits and treat it as a fruit. Rhubarb contains calcium, fibre, Vitamin C, iron and manganese and of course is naturally gluten free.
Even though rhubarb is low in calories the recipes made with rhubarb usually contain lots of sugar which makes it a sweet treat and add on the calories.
This weekend I made a big dish of apple/rhubarb crumble. To make this a gluten free recipe I use gluten free flour in the crumble. You can mix any fruit you wish with the rhubarb to make the crumble dessert.
The recipe is from my favourite British cookery book, The Dairy book of Home Cookery, published in 1977. I’ve had my copy since 1979 when we lived in England and it has been very well used.
I also made a big pot of stewed rhubarb or rhubarb compote, which I’m going to freeze. In other years I’ve frozen bags of cut up rhubarb to use at other times in the year.
This recipe uses 6 cups of cut up rhubarb, 1 cup of sugar (white or brown), and 2 tablespoons of water or for a slightly different flavour use orange juice. Cook over medium heat till sugar dissolves in liquid, turn to low heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until rhubarb softens. When finished it made about 4 cups of stewed rhubarb, which when cooled will be put into small zip lock bags and frozen. If it is a bit too watery you can thicken with some cornstarch before you remove it from the heat.
This is delicious on toast as it is almost like jam, spooned over ice cream, add a spoonful as a topping for plain cake, make into turnovers, or have it in a dish with some whipped cream on the top.
Rhubarb recipes:
- growing rhubarb
- rhubarb cake
- rhubarb cheesecake bars
- rhubarb crumble
- stewed rhubarb
There is an abundance of rhubarb and I will be making more recipes with it. Do you have a favourite rhubarb recipe I might like to try?
My cooking is always gluten free. Find a yummy recipe to cook.
Robin
Everything looks so delicious Linda! My parents always stewed up lots of rhubarb every Spring and then enjoyed it swirled in plain yogurt the rest of the year. I prefer it in baked goods!?
Crafty Gardener
A great way to enjoy spring all year round. Thanks for stopping by.
Jennifer Jilks
That looks wonderful! I made one a week ago. Yummy!!! Such a ncie spring treat.
Jennifer Jilks
That is really great, the printable recipe worked really well!
Crafty Gardener
Thanks for the feedback on the printable recipe Jenn, it is nice to know it works for others and not just myself.
Myrtle
I enjoy rhubarb sauce Linda, grew up on it and strawberry/ rhubarb pie.
Myrtle
Hi again, I have made Rhubarb/strawberry and have used apple as well and enjoy both Linda
Margy
I was so sad when I came home after a long stay in the States to find my rhubarb plant that had been doing well for over ten years was dead and decaying. When I left in March it was sprouting like normal. Have no idea what happened. I may try a new bare root next year in a different container just in case there’s something in there that caused the problem. – Margy