How to store rhubarb: jam, freezing, drying & other preserving methods
Although it can crop for many years, rhubarb has a relatively short harvesting period. Discover how to store and preserve rhubarb so that you can enjoy it for longer.
Even though it is classified as a vegetable, rhubarb (Rheum x hybridum) is most commonly used as a fruit for making sweet crumbles and pies. You can harvest its green, pink or red stems from spring until mid-summer as and when you need them. However, you can also preserve or store rhubarb, so you can enjoy it all year round.
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Storing rhubarb: methods
Rhubarb harvests can be plentiful, but when kept at room temperature, rhubarb may only last a few days. However, if you store rhubarb in the fridge, it can remain fresh for up to 2 weeks. To keep rhubarb in the fridge as fresh as possible, remove the leaves and wrap the stalks in a damp tea towel or a perforated plastic bag before placing them in the crisper drawer.
If you would like to store rhubarb for longer, there are multiple methods to choose from, including preserving, making rhubarb jam, freezing and even drying it.
Preserving rhubarb
Cooking rhubarb is a great way of preserving it to enjoy it at a later date. You can preserve rhubarb by making chutney, compote or even rhubarb-flavoured gin. Perhaps the most common way of cooking rhubarb is simply stewing it. To stew rhubarb or to make a compote, cut 500g of stalks into small pieces and add to a saucepan along with 50g of sugar, the juice of one orange and two tablespoons of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 5 to 7 minutes until it is cooked but still holds its shape. Once cool, stewed rhubarb is perfect for adding to ice cream or porridge and will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Making chutney is a common method for preserving fruit, and the sweet and sour taste of rhubarb chutney makes it ideal for accompanying cold meats or in sandwiches. To make rhubarb chutney, wash and trim the stem ends and cut 1kg of rhubarb into small lengths before placing in a large saucepan. Add two chopped onions, 600g of brown sugar, 200g of raisins and 500ml of cider vinegar to the pan and cook gently until the sugar has dissolved. Briefly bring to the boil before reducing the heat to a simmer and allow the ingredients to continue cooking for around 1 hour. Stirring regularly will prevent it from burning. Once the mixture has thickened and turned light brown, decant it into sterilised jars before sealing. When stored in a cool dark place rhubarb chutney can keep for up to 12 months.
Rhubarb jam
Another way of preserving the stems is by making rhubarb jam. Being slightly tart, using rhubarb for jam provides a delicious sweet-and-sour conserve that is perfect for spreading on toast.
How to make rhubarb jam:
- Chop 1kg of washed stems into 3cm long pieces
- Place the trimmed rhubarb into a large saucepan along with 1kg of jam sugar and the juice of one lemon
- Heat the pan gently and stir until the sugar has dispersed
- Turn up the heat and boil until the jam reaches 105 °C
- Once it has reached the required temperature, allow the jam to cool slightly before transferring it into sterilised jars
- When sealed, you can keep rhubarb jam in a cool and dark location for up to 6 months
Although rhubarb jam is more than enjoyable as it is, you can also add either strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa), raspberries (Rubus idaeus) or ginger (Zingiber officinale) for some interesting flavour combinations.
Tip: for sweeter stems, you can force rhubarb under a light-omitting pot. However, due to its sweeter flavour, less sugar may be required when preparing or consuming it.
Freezing rhubarb
Freezing rhubarb is another method of preserving it long term and needs little preparation. You can freeze rhubarb raw or blanch the rhubarb first to help preserve the colour and flavour, but this is not strictly necessary.
To freeze rhubarb:
- Wash the rhubarb stems and discard the ends
- Cut the rhubarb into manageable lengths
- Lay the pieces on a tray in a single layer and place in the freezer for 2 hours
- Once frozen, you can decant the rhubarb into airtight containers or freezer bags
- Frozen rhubarb can be safely kept in the freezer for up to 12 months
Tip: although rhubarb stems are edible, the leaves are poisonous and should not be eaten as they contain oxalic acid.
Drying
When dried, rhubarb will keep for only a few days but makes a great snack or for adding to desserts.
To dry rhubarb:
- Wash and trim the rhubarb stems into small pieces around 1 – 2cm long
- Lay the pieces on a non-stick baking or dehydrator tray in a single layer
- Dry the rhubarb in a dehydrator or oven set to 50 to 60 °C for around 8 to 12 hours, turning once halfway through
- Once dry, you can store the dried rhubarb pieces in an airtight container for several days
Other rhubarb uses
Although perhaps best prepared and eaten fresh, rhubarb can also be used for making rhubarb fool, apple and rhubarb crumble and even adding to smoothies. Furthermore, rhubarb is also used in traditional Chinese medicine where the root and lower parts of the stem are used to help alleviate stomach issues and reduce pain and inflammation.
If all this talk of eating rhubarb has got your taste buds watering, you may want to try growing your own rhubarb at home. You can learn more about planting rhubarb here in our separate article.
