Step away from the rhubarb

That’s it, rhubarb harvesting season is over…

 … well, so my Mum says, but there are a few schools of thought on this issue.

The folklore is that you should stop pulling rhubarb on June 24^th, as this is the date the devil goes into it. This seems a very precise date, and with all the rhubarb growing, in the UK alone, he is going to be spread very thin!

However, like many of these stories, there may well be some sensible reasoning behind it. Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid, which is poisonous if consumed and an irritant if it is contact with your skin for an extended period of time. Over the course of the season this acid is said to start to travel down the stems, so it makes sense not to pull it too late. 

The general consensus is that the harvesting period is between May and July/August. However, I am not one to argue with my Mum, so no more rhubarb for me this year.

Thankfully, it has been a good year for this vegetable in my area, so I have plenty of yummy rhubarb chutney and rhubarb and ginger jam in stock. This is very fortunate as they are both very popular on the Auntie Allie market stall and in the Auntie Allie house.

If you don’t grow rhubarb already, then I can recommend it as an easy to grow, easy to maintain crop with lots of uses.

How I planted mine

I got mine from a fellow allotmenteer who was ready to divide his. Rhubarb crowns (the name for the plant which is over a year old) should be divided every 5 – 6 years and when the plant is lying dormant in the winter. You use a spade to cut it into three or four parts. It seems like a very destructive thing to do, but rhubarb is very, very tough – which anyone who has tried to get rid of it will know. 

You just need to make sure that each of the pieces has a large bud to provide the shoots for the following year.

I then dug a hole a bit bigger than the new crown, placed a load of alpaca poo in the bottom, then the rhubarb crown on top of that. I then firmed it in and watered well.

Harvesting

Now you need to show some patience, as your new rhubarb will thank you for leaving it be for a year to become established. In year two, it is worth showing a little restraint and then from year three you can harvest away, although don’t pull more than half of the plant at a time.

Pulling, is exactly the right term to describe how you should harvest your rhubarb. Reach down to the base of the stalk, give a slight twist and then gently pull, don’t cut it. Trim off the leaves, which are fine to go in your compost bin. I have also heard of some people using them as a weed suppressant, but I haven’t tried that yet to say whether it works or not.

Over winter care

The plant will start to die back naturally, but for the winter you should make sure the stalks are removed, as it is important to expose the crown to any winter frosts we hopefully get to experience. I also give the crown a good helping of more alpaca manure, which certainly seems to ensure a very good crop.

Cooking with Rhubarb

Rhubarb and ginger jam is very popular. Less well known, but very yummy is rhubarb chutney, which is definitely one I like to keep in my stores cupboard.

Rhubarb crumble is a firm favourite and is the pudding of choice for many a family roast dinner.

For the more exotic tastes you can try making a rhubarb and custard cocktail, rhubarb and ginger syllabub or you can always just stew it.

Au revoir rhubarb, until 2016...