Rhubarb Stewed and delicious

Rediscover this pretty in pink delight – its tangy taste is delish in pies, crumbles and even on toast!

Rhubarb is botanically a vegetable but tends to be eaten like a fruit. Available all year round, it’s a baker’s delight. With its naturally low sugar content, it tastes at its best when cooked and is a pretty delicious accompaniment to sweet dishes. Alone it’s quite tart and bitter, so it’s normal to add a little sugar when cooking with it.

SELECT

Choose crisp, brightly coloured stalks that don’t look wilted. The thinner and younger stalks tend to be less stringy and more tender.

PREPARE

Remove the leaves and discard them – they’re poisonous and shouldn’t be eaten (though you’d need to eat about five kilos of rhubarb leaves for a lethal dose!). Wash the red coloured stalks and trim any white part of the stems. Chop into pieces (what you are using it for will determine their size).

STORE

Place the stalks (leaves already removed) in a plastic bag and keep in the fridge for up to five days.

NUTRITION

Rhubarb is very low in energy, yet high in fibre and vitamin C. Due to its high content of oxalates, avoid it if you’re prone to kidney stones. It’s also important not to go overboard with sugar when sweetening rhubarb recipes.

QUICK IDEAS

There are so many ways to use and incorporate rhubarb into your food. It’s delicious simply stewed with apple (see our recipe, opposite) and served with a dollop of low-fat yoghurt and a little low-fat muesli.

You could lightly sprinkle it with sugar, orange zest and juice and roast until soft and tender, then serve with a scoop of low-fat ice cream or yoghurt.

Rhubarb can also be cut up and incorporated into your favourite basic cake recipe, or stewed with apple and spices and made into a delicious savoury chutney.