Did you know that rhubarb contains poison in it's leaves called oxalic acid. This acid is corrosive and can also be found in many plants. Sound tasty? The toxicity varies in the plant. Usually there are about .5% in one of the leaves. They say that there is also another toxin that they can't quite put their finger on. The roots are used as a laxative and have been used like this for thousands of years. It has been used in China for medication for many years.
Stemming from Asia the rhubarb is used for consumption not only there but in many places. The name rhubarb is Greek and meaning the plant and the Volga River. We have been eating it since the 17Th Century. It all started in England and then it eventually made it's way to the United States in the 1820's. It went from northern state of Maine and eventually moved west with settlers.
It is now grown all over the United States and is used for it's petioles. The stalks are actually a vegetable but is often used as a fruit. There are two harvest times for the rhubarb. One of them is from April through May and then there is June into July.
It has been known to be a delightful treat for children in the UK and Sweden. What the children would do is dip it into sugar to make it a sweet and inexpensive treat. You can use the petioles by stewing them and making a tart sauce out of them. It is quite common as a pie filling as well.
To make a delightful jam, you may want to cook with strawberries and apple, maybe even ginger. There is rhubarb wine as well. Also, although it is really known for it's tart flavor, rhubarb can be quite sweet actually. It is often cooked with duck, in chili and in stews. It can be mixed with cherries and oranges, possibly to make a glaze for a ham. It may taste scrumptious on a roast as well. There are so many ways that you can use rhubarb.
Quite an exotic food is the rhubarb. I am almost sure that you have to acquire a taste for it. When they are ripe for harvest, they will appear to be firm and shiny. There are a total of about 60 species and some of those species are found in the wild as well.
Stemming from Asia the rhubarb is used for consumption not only there but in many places. The name rhubarb is Greek and meaning the plant and the Volga River. We have been eating it since the 17Th Century. It all started in England and then it eventually made it's way to the United States in the 1820's. It went from northern state of Maine and eventually moved west with settlers.
It is now grown all over the United States and is used for it's petioles. The stalks are actually a vegetable but is often used as a fruit. There are two harvest times for the rhubarb. One of them is from April through May and then there is June into July.
It has been known to be a delightful treat for children in the UK and Sweden. What the children would do is dip it into sugar to make it a sweet and inexpensive treat. You can use the petioles by stewing them and making a tart sauce out of them. It is quite common as a pie filling as well.
To make a delightful jam, you may want to cook with strawberries and apple, maybe even ginger. There is rhubarb wine as well. Also, although it is really known for it's tart flavor, rhubarb can be quite sweet actually. It is often cooked with duck, in chili and in stews. It can be mixed with cherries and oranges, possibly to make a glaze for a ham. It may taste scrumptious on a roast as well. There are so many ways that you can use rhubarb.
Quite an exotic food is the rhubarb. I am almost sure that you have to acquire a taste for it. When they are ripe for harvest, they will appear to be firm and shiny. There are a total of about 60 species and some of those species are found in the wild as well.
0 comments:
Post a Comment