Rhubarb delivers for years
Tips and tasks for the week in the garden.
RHUBARB, RHUBARB, RHUBARB
Planted now, while the soil is still warm but increasingly moist, rhubarb will take off in earnest, forming a healthy, deep root system and perhaps even some harvestable stems by late spring. This sounds like a slow and low return, but a bit like asparagus, rhubarb is a long-term investment.
While rhubarb plants take a couple of seasons to reach peak production, once established they will continue to deliver the goods for years. Rhubarb likes deep soil, constant moisture, plenty of sunshine and as much nitrogenous fertiliser as you can throw at it. It has a particular love of chook manure but pretty much anything expelled from the rear end of a land animal will do.
Stem colour, or lack of it, causes much concern among rhubarb-growers. There are a couple of possible causes of green stems in rhubarb. Neither of the main cultivars available in New Zealand (Glaskin’s Perpetual and Victoria) are especially pigmented. Seedling-grown plants (excluding F1 hybrids) are even less reliable in this regard as green stems seem to be something of a genetic default.
Recently though, a clutch of rosystemmed rhubarb cultivars – Moulin Rouge, Grandad’s Favourite and Cherry Red F1 have been released. All three appear to colour up nicely regardless of local conditions and offer excellent flavour and minimal fibre. Green rhubarb tastes as good as red but it cooks down to an unappetising sludge-green, so from an aesthetic perspective it might be worth replacing off-colour clumps with one of these newbies.
Rhubarb is ready for harvesting whenever it looks, well, ready for picking. There is no ripe stage to speak of; it’s all just a matter of size and crispness. Bendy baby stems tend to be all fibre and no pulp whereas very large stalks are meaty but the fibrous outer is usually tough and may need peeling.
Rhubarb clumps eventually become tangled thickets and require periodic splitting with a sharp spade. Do this task in winter.
To avoid root rot, make sure the crowns are not completely buried when planted. Regularly remove dead leaves and always harvest rhubarb by pulling stems free from the plant, rather than cutting or snapping, which can lead to fungal problems in cool wet weather.
TOO MANY GRAPES?
If you grow grapes, chances are you are now struggling to eat them all before birds, wasps or spoilage set in. Try making sapa, or concentrated grape syrup.
To make sapa, de-stem and wash fresh, fully ripe grapes. Place in a preserving pan, cover and simmer until collapsed and frothy. Remove from heat and crush with a potato masher. Cover and leave to macerate overnight.
The next day use a wooden spoon to strain and press the slurry through a large sieve or steamer. Discard the skins and seeds. Slowly simmer, uncovered, until reduced by two-thirds. What’s left should be dark, syrupy, slightly sharp and very sweet. It tastes somewhere between raisins, grapes and the musky backbone element of balsamico. Bottle and seal immediately. Sapa can be used as part of a meat glaze, in ragu-style sauces, as a topping for icecreams and pancakes, or even in sodas and cocktails.