4 things you may not know about rhubarb
• An established patch of rhubarb can actively produce for more than 20 years
• Rhubarb is a relative of buckwheat
• Rhubarb leaves are poisonous, and rhubarb is never eaten raw
• It’s sometimes called 'pie plant' because it’s so often used in pies
1 tip you can't live without
• Main-crop rhubarb is much coarser than early rhubarb. Try freezing early rhubarb to last through the year. Chop stalks and place in heavy-duty freezer bags
1 thing to remember at the grocery store
• Fresh stalks are crisp and flat. Avoid stalks that are turning from pink to green
3 ways to try rhubarb right now
• Beat the heat with chilled rhubarb and orange soup
• Try rhubarb chutney on the side with a Sunday pot roast
• Mix rhubarb with sour cream in batter for summery pink muffins
2 tools to get the most out of rhubarb
• A vegetable peeler to remove brown spots and strings from fibrous stalks
• Sandi Vitt and Michael Hickman's cookbook, Rhubarb: More Than Just Pies ($14.95, University of Alberta Press)
3 varieties of rhubarb to cultivate
• Crimson Cherry (very red)
• Victoria (speckled pink)
• Riverside Giant (green)
Read more in Recipes and Country Pantry
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