19-05-2025
All About Rhubarb, the Striking Veggie (Really!) That's a Sign of Spring
As the days get longer and the weather warmer, there's subtle anticipation for the next season's crops among farmers and customers alike. These days, we're starting to see lots of new green growth in gardens, but there are also some clusters of thick, red, celery-like stalks that stand out in the spring green crowd—rhubarb.
But what is rhubarb, exactly? I love picking up bunches at the farmer's market and cooking with it all spring long, but I've never stopped to really think about the veggie (nope, it's not a fruit). To find out what it is, how to buy it, how to cook with it and so much more, I reached out to farmers and chefs for their expert intel and advice.
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Rhubarb is a hardy, perennial plant with broad leaves and thick stems, which can be red or green depending on the variety. Botanically, it's classified as a vegetable, but in cooking, it's often treated like a fruit, known for its distinctive tart, tangy flavor. It's so closely associated with desserts (pie in particular) that some people call rhubarb the "pie plant."
Rhubarb grows in clumps, with each plant typically reaching a height of about two or three feet. 'Many farmers grow rhubarb from seed, but we grow ours from a root stalk by planting it six inches underground and three feet apart," says Ron Binaghi, owner of Stokes Farms in Old Tappan, N.J. It takes at least two growing seasons before you can harvest the pink stalks.
Rhubarb is native to China and Siberia, and is mostly grown in the cooler regions of the U.S., including Washington state, Oregon, Vermont and New York.
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Although rhubarb is most often used in sweet recipes accompanied by fruits like strawberries, it's technically a vegetable. The slim stalks have a celery-ish vibe, but rhubarb isn't in the celery family at all. It's a part of the Polygonaceae family, which also includes buckwheat. If you're the kind of person who likes to know as much as possible about your produce (like us!), you might be interested to know that celery is in the Umbelliferae family, which also includes carrots, parsnips, parsley, cilantro, fennel and more.
Rhubarb is tart and tangy with a flavor that's similar to lemon. Some people also get a slightly fruity flavor from rhubarb, similar to green apples or sour cherries. Rhubarb is rarely eaten raw because it's so sour and has a fibrous, celery-like texture. Cooking rhubarb with a generous amount of sugar tempers the sourness and makes it soft and tender. Rhubarb is commonly paired with other fruits, like strawberries and raspberries, which help balance the tartness.
According to Binaghi, rhubarb season can start as early as April and stretch all the way into September, depending on weather conditions. 'Peak rhubarb season is May and June, but it is generally available all summer long,' he says.
When shopping for rhubarb, there are a few important things to keep in mind. Binaghi recommends buying rhubarb with firm, fresh-looking stalks with few blemishes. Skip any that are floppy or flimsy. And note that not all rhubarb is ruby red. Rhubarb comes in a range of colors, from pale red to green, with the green ones being the most tart. Thicker, larger stalks are tougher and more fibrous than smaller ones. And be sure to remove and discard any leaves that may come with the bunch. (More on why below.)
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While the red or green stalks are the edible parts of rhubarb, the leaves are toxic if ingested. 'A compound in the leaves of rhubarb called oxalic acid can make you very sick,' says Binaghi. The leaves in very large amounts can be fatal, while accidental consumption of small amounts can lead to nausea or cramping.
If stored properly, rhubarb will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week. 'Rhubarb should be stored in the refrigerator without its leaves, wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel and in an open, resealable plastic bag," says Lish Steiling, James Beard Award and Emmy Award-winning culinary producer and co-author of A Confident Cook. Because the season for rhubarb is fleeting, if you're a fan, you should stock up (or should we say stalk up??!) when you see it. You can freeze whole stalks or chopped rhubarb and use it later in the year.
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Even though rhubarb is botanically a vegetable, it's most commonly used in dessert recipes, like the iconic strawberry-rhubarb pie. To cut its intense tanginess, rhubarb is often mixed with another fruit and plenty of sugar. Another popular way to cook rhubarb is to make a compote, where you cook the chopped stalks with plenty of sugar until everything is meltingly jammy. The compote is delicious spooned over vanilla ice cream, spread on toast or toasted pound cake or served with shortcakes as you would strawberries. For a fancy springy cookie, you can fill a simple thumbprint cookie with a spoonful of rhubarb compote.
One of my favorite dishes made with rhubarb is something my Latvian friend brought to a picnic: his grandma's rhubarb cake made with extremely tangy Baltic kefir and sour cream. It's counterintuitive, but somehow the sour dairy products really made the rhubarb sing and the sugar in the cake balanced everything out.
But rhubarb isn't only for desserts. 'I also enjoy the savory applications of rhubarb. I love pickling it with warming spices, tossing the pickled rhubarb in an arugula salad and serving it with any kind of pork dish,' says Steiling. Try rhubarb with pork chops or use it to make a glaze for baby back ribs. Rhubarb can also be made into a relish or chutney, which is delicious (and pretty) spooned over cheese on a cheese board or tucked into a grilled cheese sandwich.
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