Rhubarb is a tart, sweet, and crunchy spring vegetable that tastes like nothing else. It is full of vitamins like C and A, as well as potassium, calcium and fiber. It grows in a lot of different states and countries all around the world, so almost anyone can try it out.
Have you seen rhubarb growing before? It grows back every year, so it is known as a perennial vegetable (like asparagus). The roots live all year, but it only produces the yummy stalks when the temperature is just right. It also shows up in stores in the spring as cut red stalks. (We can’t eat the leaves, so they don’t make it as far as the store or farmers market.)
If you have a plant, the easiest way to harvest it is to pull it up one stalk at a time, then wash it off and go inside to cook. Some folks like to eat it raw, and the sour might make your eyes scrunch up! Because it is so tart, most people bake with it or make it into jam with sweet spring fruit like strawberries, or make salsa with mango and pineapple.
Try out this easy muffin recipe, or check out createbetterhealth.org for more rhubarb recipes.
