Excess of rhubarb

[Henwoman]

It hardly seems possible, but I am already having to cook rhubarb for freezing. I have about five plants I think - a friend took a couple in March for a new garden - and they are producing so much that I can't keep up. I can't count how many rhubarb crumbles I've had so far since February and as I don't want to waste it I am freezing it.

[Annpan]

Same here... more rhubarb than I can shake a stick at.

Sadly I don't have an oven or a freezer just now, all my cooking is being done on a single burner camping stove.... I can't even begin to use it up.

Just think of all those crumbles you'll be able to have in November though

[Green Aura]

I don't understand the concept of too much rhubarb!

What we can't eat, freeze, bottle or make into jam etc will be made into wine - the more the better

[thesunflowergal]

For the second year in a row my rhubarb is rubbish, its nearly totally dead

[pops]

i totally missed out on rhubarb this year, by the time i worked out i wanted it and couldn't pull it in the first year, everyone had sold out and now i guess it's too late to plant for this year! *doh*

you should definitely concentrate on the 'emergency crumble' possibilities for nights requiring comfort eating! :D

[Milims]

Rhubarb and ginger jam. Yum

[red]

I'm in the middle of making rhubena.. rhubarb cordial :)

[Green Aura]

Annpan, you and E are obviously missing out on the delights of wandering round the garden with a stick of rhubarb and a little bag of sugar to dip it in!

Who needs a cooker? (However I empathise - in the gal's house we have no kitchen, just a tiny meths stove and camping kettle - no running water or loo either! Fortunately it's only about 100yards from our house so that's not too much of a problem )

[Thomzo]

For the second year in a row my rhubarb is rubbish, its nearly totally dead

My first plant, planted a few years ago into a tower of car tyres, is doing ok. The one I planted last year is really struggling. I think it's lack of water. Maybe your plant is too sheltered and not getting enough water? They also really like a good feed from time to time.

Zoe

[frozenthunderbolt]

Rhubarb and ginger jam. Yum

1+

[Millymollymandy]

Mine are rubbish too - 4 years now since I forced them and moved them, - thought they were finally coming back to life as loads of new leaves emerged, which turned out to be on quite spindly stalks and now they just want to flower again. Managed to get about 6 pathetic stalks to eat which is the best I've had since moving them though.

They used to flower when they were in the veg patch but were abut 4 times the size they are now.

Even the new plant I bought - a nice red one instead of my stringy green ones looks nearly dead - and we are watering them during this drought!!

[Cassiepod]

Mine is in it's second year, and is flowering, how much can I harvest is it all of it or only a portion?

Cassie

[Ellendra]

Rhubarb are heavy feeders, that might explain the spindly stalks some of you are describing. I know one person who every winter dumps enough composted manure on her rhubarb patch to bury it a couple feet deep, then in spring she pulls it back just enough to keep the stalks from having to grow through the manure itself. Last year she had stalks so big that if I didn't know her technical abilities, I would have sworn she was photo-shopping, that leaf was bigger than she was!!! She said she could get a pint jar full with just 2 stalks, they were so meaty.

[cocobelle]

Maybe make some chutney from the crazy amounts of rhubarb some of you have. I had some the other day with belly of pork and it goes so well.

[red]

rhubarb cordial is a winner.

but if you dont need the rhubarb, just leave it there, it does weaken the plant to pull it, which is why they say not to harvest any after June- to give the plant time to recover. So you could leave it for a bigger and better harvest next time