Looking for simple rhubarb recipes with less sugar and more flavour? Here's how we use rhubarb in France, what it tastes like, how to prepare it, plus my favourite recipes from compote and crumble to moist rhubarb cake and sorbet.
What is Rhubarb?
- Like tomatoes being classed as a fruit, rhubarb is officially a vegetable native to Siberia. Its old name was rhaponticum, later becoming rubarbe in Old French.
- Rhubarb grows particularly well in northern France (Europe and Britain) and needs very little care. The thick pink, red or green stalks are edible, while the leaves are toxic.
- The stalks look a bit like celery but taste completely different: sharply sour and acidic unless sweetened.
- According to Larousse Gastronomique, rhubarb arrived in 16th-century Europe from Asia by Marco Polo. It only became popular in cooking much later thanks to British pies and crumbles.
- Rhubarb can be eaten raw dipped in sugar (my Scottish grandpa loved this), although it's more commonly baked into cakes, tarts, crumbles and compotes.
- Naturally low in calories, rhubarb contains potassium, magnesium and calcium. However, its acidity means it usually needs some sugar to balance the flavour.
- One of my favourite places to try rhubarb in France is the Potager du Roi in Versailles where they even sell a delicious rhubarb nectar.
What Does Rhubarb Taste Like? Best Pairings
Rhubarb's taste is famously sour - so much so that it needs sugar to bring out its fascinating flavours. My Grandpa used to dip a stick of it in a bowl of sugar - as a child, I can remember vividly trying and shying away from it!
Once sweetened, its taste leans towards strawberry with hints of cooked apples and even tomato vines, as beautifully described by Niki Segnit's Flavour Thesaurus.
Its bold acidity works just as well in savoury dishes as it does in desserts. In French home cooking, it's often stewed into healthy compotes, used as a tart topping, or baked into pâtisseries.
Rhubarb pairs especially well with strawberries, rose, hibiscus, ginger, orange and almonds. Try it in cakes, jam, or a simple rhubarb tart (see recipes below).
To make stewed rhubarb, see my recipe video for rhubarb compote, including my top tip for turning your green rhubarb a rosy pink.
Looking for something more unusual or modern? Serve rhubarb compote as a vibrant partner to fish, roast chicken or veal.
How to Store and Prepare Rhubarb
Choose firm stalks and store rhubarb in the fridge as little as possible before they wilt. Freezes well.
Do you peel rhubarb before cooking it? It's not always necessary and depends on the size and thickness of the skin. Normally we don't but if yours is particularly stringy, then just peel these bits off.
What Can I Do With A Lot of Rhubarb?
If you're one of these lucky people like my neighbours that grow lots of rhubarb, then there are plenty of ideas of what you can do with it.
If you have excess rhubarb, make batches of this delicious rhubarb compote (also on video). It's low in sugar, keeps well and freezes well in jam jars.
Also delicious as rhubarb jam with rose and, for jam, is as daringly low in sugar as we can make. See more recipes below.
Is Rhubarb Poisonous?
Always discard the rhubarb leaves as they are poisonous. According to Healthline USA, they contain oxalate, but humans would need to consume an extra large amount (2-6kg) of leaves for a potentially lethal dose of it. However, once the toxic leaves are discarded, the rest is deliciously edible.
Simple Rhubarb Recipes with Less Sugar
These simple rhubarb recipes include French desserts, healthier compotes, moist rhubarb cake and easy make-ahead ideas.
Looking for more unusual rhubarb recipes? In France we often pair rhubarb with rose, hibiscus, orange and almonds rather than simply drowning it in sugar.
One of the easiest stewed rhubarb recipes, this healthy rhubarb compote freezes beautifully and uses just 2 main ingredients.
Enjoyed on its own or use as the basis for many desserts (see crumble below) - or just dolloped on ice cream. Try this compote with creamy lemon ice cream or on crêpes. It's rhubarb money in the bank over the winter!
Rhubarb Fool - a light, modern twist on classic stewed rhubarb with ginger and honey instead of lots of refined sugar. This easy dessert folds tangy rhubarb compote into Greek yogurt for a fresher finish, ready in 25 minutes.
Rhubarb Crumble - my unique modern twist to the British classic. Topped with toasted oats and unsweetened white chocolate mousse, this French version is served chilled. It's easy to assemble in advance and great for entertaining. This is my best way of serving it!
Rhubarb Sorbet - it's so easy and doesn't need an ice cream machine. It's a blend of healthy compote which has been frozen.
Delicious served with these dehydrated rhubarb chips.
Pre-roast rhubarb (although optional) in this one-layered French Rhubarb Cake. Extra moist made with almonds and a hint of orange and rose. Perfect for Mother's Day, which falls during the season.
It's delicious served roasted to decorate this upside-down almond tart with strawberries.
Rhubarb and Custard Cheesecake - my twist to a British classic of stewed rhubarb and thick custard. A vanilla cheesecake with that characteristic acidity from the fruit, decorated with rhubarb chips.
Rhubarb Jam with Rose - Simple recipe low in sugar but just enough to still be called jam. The secret is in macerating the rhubarb for 2 hours - it's worth the wait. The result is full on flavour.
Plus, if your rhubarb is too green, then you know my trick by now: add dried hibiscus flowers.
