Rhubarb
Among the shelfloads
of imported exotics, it's easy to overlook common or garden rhubarb.
Yet this highly underrated 'fruit' has much to recommend it. Heather
Mairs thinks pink.
Rhubarb
originated in Asia some 2,000 years ago. Initially cultivated for its
purgative qualities, it was not until the 18th century that rhubarb
was grown for culinary purposes here in Britain. Despite its being
commonly regarded as a fruit, rhubarb is actually a close relative
of garden
sorrel, and is therefore a member of the vegetable family. Rhubarb's
crisp sour stalks are rich in vitamin C, dietary fibre and calcium,
although the calcium is combined with oxalic acid and so is not easily
absorbed by the body. The leaves of rhubarb should never be eaten as
they contain toxic levels of oxalic acid.
The
rhubarb season runs from April to September, although it can be grown
forced which accounts for its availability early in the year when other
crops are scarce. Early forced rhubarb has a distinctive bright pink
colour and delicate flavour, regarded by some as the finest in the world.
In order to 'force', the vegetable, the roots of the early, rhubarb are
dug up between November and January and replanted in huge sheds. Six
weeks later the rhubarb is picked in true Victorian style, by candlelight,
to allow as little natural light as possible to reach the plants and
harm their tender pink stalks. Outdoor rhubarb is a little darker in
colour.
When buying rhubarb choose fresh crisp stalks, and peel off any stringy
covering before use. Stand the stalks in cold water for an hour or so
to refresh them before cooking. Otherwise store in the fridge, and eat
within three days of purchase. Rhubarb is incredibly versatile with many
culinary uses; try it in cakes and desserts, pastries, jams, pickles,
conserves, sauces and, of course, wine. |
