Trail Cooking With: Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a perennial plant, which looks very similar to celery.Its fleshy stalks mostly are treated as a fruit, however, botanically, rhubarb is a vegetable. There are several varieties of rhubarb, and they can range in colour from deep red to pale green.
Although you can find rhubarb from the middle of spring to early autumn, the prime season runs from April to June.
Perfect in a classic rhubarb pie or a comforting crumble, rhubarb is also delicious in savory food. Try it with oily fish or roasted meat. Rhubarb matches well with apples, ginger, oranges, strawberries and cinnamon.
The rhubarb stalks are the rich source of fiber, minerals (manganese, iron, potassium, phosphorus) and vitamins (A, C, K and B-complex vitamins).
Freshly harvested rhubarb will remain viable for cooking for 3-5days, that makes it suitable for short camping trips. Just wrap it tightly in plastic, and don’t wash it until you’re ready to use it. For longer backpacking trips, rhubarb can be dried. Find out how to dehydrate rhubarb from our quick and easy guide.
Notes: Keep in mind that rhubarb leaves contain a poison and should never be eaten.
Rhubarb recipes to try on your next trail:
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Rhubarb Compote