how to harvest and store rhubarb
If you’re looking to learn how to easily and correctly harvest your rhubarb crop, how to prolong freshness. Short and long-term storage ideas. Plus quick and simple ways to preserve your rhubarb and great new recipes to try, look no further! This post has your covered and will help ensure you get the most out of your rhubarb harvest this year!
Rhubarb, (also known as pie plant) is a great and easy-to-grow crop. Personally, I find rhubarb to be one of the easiest things a person can grow and one of the how things I’ve actually managed to grow.
Rhubarb is a very vertical plant that can be grown pretty much anywhere. We’ve had our rhubarb planted in full sun, and full shade, we never water it, and aside from pulling off a few dead stalks or an occasional flower stalk that sprung up to early. We don’t do much as far as maintenance is concerned. Still every year without fail we have a very bountiful harvest.
Here in the Midwest our rhubarb pops up in the very early spring and lasts till late June or early July, and man does it grow well.
Every year I’m surprised by the amount of rhubarb we get, not only does this perennial vegetable grow well, but it also grows bigger each year, every few years it needs to be split/divided, and hopefully if we’re lucky, given away to a friend!
I guess it’s a good thing rhubarb is a versatile food, its tart flavor and firm stalks make it perfect for a variety of different recipes, both sweet and savory.
Still, I’m often trying to find new ways to store our rhubarb harvest, as well as belong to the shelf life of fresh rhubarb. And well I can’t claim to be a rhubarb expert, I have learned a few tricks over the years.
Below you’ll find a quick and easy way to harvest your rhubarb crop, plus some of my favorite ways to store fresh rhubarb, as well as a few ideas for long-term storage.
harvesting rhubarb the right way
Harvest rhubarb is very simple, very very simple. and the best part is you don’t need anything but your hands and a couple of rules of thumb!
Now you might be wondering when the best time to harvest your rhubarb is, and the truth is, there isn’t exactly the best time to harvest rhubarb.
Rhubarb stalks will generally range most;y from 10-12 inches, but they can defiantly be picked when they are small and larger. The larger the stalks the dryer and woody they will be, but these stalks are still great for making things like crisp and jam!
Mature plants will have a variety of different stalks ranging in height and size, they will have green stalks and red stalks. All of which can be picked and eaten.
Actually, the best way to tell if your rhubarb is ready to be picked is to try picking it. If the stalks ”comes off” or ”pulls up” easily, the stalk is ripe and ready to be picked, if the stalks don’t come up, you have to pull really hard on them. Then the stalk isn’t ready yet and you should move on to a different one.
how to harvest rhubarb
This is the easiest and best way to harvest rhubarb.
- Grab hold of a stalk, near the base of the plant, no more than 2 inches above where the stalk meets the ground(you can grab higher, but it’s easier if you are closer to the ground.)
- Twist the stalk and pull up. The stalk should come off/pull up from the plant, revealing the bright red bottom of the stalk
And that’s it!
There is no need for a knife or clippers, and no need to cut your rhubarb at all. Simply grab, twist, and pull!
Again the rhubarb stalk you are pulling should come off easily and without much effort on your part. If it’s not coming out, or you have to pull really hard on it, then the stalk likely isn’t ready yet, and you should move on to a different stalk.
This is by far the easiest and best method for harvesting rhubarb and pulling off the whole stalk as opposed to cutting it, ensuring you don’t nick any of the other stalks, and means you won’t be leaving behind any parcel stalks to rot on the plant.
If you are planning to use the rhubarb imminently, feel free to pull large leaves while you are still outside and discard them.
how to store rhubarb
Here are some of the quick and easy storage solutions I use, bo to keep my rhubarb fresh and to preserve it, so it tides us over till the following year!
Short-term storage. Rhubarb is not a vegetable that likes to stay fresh for very long, but they are a few easy ways to prolong the shelf life of fresh rhubarb. These are the two methods I use the most, especially when I’m trying to keep rhubarb fresh for baking the next day.
A. This storage idea is pretty straightforward and requires no time at all. The easiest way to save your rhubarb is still simply to leave it out on the counter. The Key to this though, is to leave the leaves on. While rhubarb leaves are poisonous and should never be eaten or consumed in any way. They do play important in keeping rhubarb fresh. Cut rhubarb with the leaves still attached, which can be left on the counter at room temperature for 2-4 days. The leave will begin to dry out, but the stalks will remain fresh.
B. To prolong the life of fresh rhubarb a little longer, store your stalks in the fridge. The key to this storage solution is very smiler to the one above. You will again want to leave the leaves on the stalks and leave your stalks unwashed. Gently wrap your picked stalks loosely in foil or plastic bag(you DO NOT want it to be airtight.) place the wrapped stalks in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. RHubarb will last in the fridge for up to 1-week. Again the leaves will begin to dry(and wilt) but the stalks will remain fresh.
long-term storage
A. The easiest way to store and preserve your rhubarb for a long period of time is to freeze it. Rhubarb freezes very well and it’s super easy to prepare for freezing as well! Wash your rhubarb and slice or dice it with a sharp knife. Place it in an airtight container or a freeze bag and place it in the freezer. Rhubarb will last in the freezer for up to 1-year! You can find my step-by-step guide for freezing rhubarb HERE.
B. Another great way to store your rhubarb is to can it! There are many different canning methods and recipes to make. Some of my favorites include rhubarb jam and refrigerator-pickled rhubarb. But you can jellies, Rhubarb sauce, pie filling, and more!
C. You can also freeze-dry your rhubarb! Personally, I’ve never done this as I don’t have a freeze-dryer. But I hear this is another great way to store your rhubarb harvest. Freeze-dried rhubarb is often used in sweets and baked goods, especially things like rhubarb, strawberry, and white chocolate truffles. Freeze-dried rhubarb can last for 25 years if stored properly!
Be sure to also check out my 3 Ways to Preserve Rhubarb At Home post.
notes and tidbits
If you’ve never grown rhubarb before I would encourage you to give it a try! It only takes about two years to grow rhubarb from seeds. But I’m sure if you ask around you’ll be able to find someone who will be willing and more than happy to give some transplants!
Rhubarb plants have to be split every couple of years so getting your hands on some shouldn’t be too hard! And the best part is you can part in next year’s harvest.
If you wondering what to do will all your rhubarb leaves, here are a couple of suggestions. Rhubarb leaves are compostable and you can easily add them to your compost pile. Although rhubarb leaves plants contain a high level of oxalic acid and should never be eaten, they are safe to compost. Oxalic acid degrades rapidly in the pile and should have no impact on your compost quality.
On the same note, since rhubarb leaves break down so quickly, you can easily just leave them out in the yard. You can spread them out or, make a pile of them somewhere near your plants. They decompose completely usually within a week or two.
Rhubarb recipes to try!
Rhubarb simple syrup
