Baked Sticky Rhubarb Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to cook rhubarb without it going mushy? ›

Method. Put the rhubarb into a saucepan with the orange zest, juice, sugar and 2 tbsp water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 8 mins until the rhubarb is cooked but still holds its shape.

Rhubarb is a truly special ingredient. With its vivid pink colour and distinctively tangy taste, it can be stewed, poached, roasted and puréed in a range of dishes as well as drinks. Use it in a comforting crumble, a classic syllabub, a fruity chutney or a zingy kebab sauce – the possibilities are endless.

Rhubarb can also be added to savoury dishes, as its tartness can stand up to fatty meats like pork and duck well. Try it with pork chops, rhubarb & grains in a new twist on a traybake, or raw and finely chopped as a salsa to go with pan-seared duck breasts and greens.

Discard leaves and woody ends. Wash rhubarb with cool tap water, but do not soak.

Rhubarb is a rich source of nutrients providing 45% of the Daily Value for Vitamin K in a serving size of 1 cup. In addition, rhubarb provides phytochemicals to help our body prevent chronic diseases.

Rhubarb contains a group of compounds called sennosides (also found in senna), which can act as natural laxative, helping to prevent constipation. It's also a useful source of dietary fibre which helps keep the digestive system healthy.

The toxic parts of rhubarb (Rheum x hybridum) are the leaves and the roots, as described by University of Illinois Extension: “One characteristic consistent with all rhubarb is the toxicity of the leaves and roots. The rhubarb leaves contain high amounts of oxalic acid, a toxic and potentially deadly poison.”

Rhubarb is a type of laxative called a stimulant laxative. Stimulant laxatives can cause diarrhea and decrease potassium levels. Some medications for inflammation, called corticosteroids, can also decrease potassium levels. Taking these products together might cause potassium levels to drop too low.

Rhubarb is a unique vegetable that people use in cooking and baking. Since it may be high in oxalate, you should avoid eating too much of it and try to select stalks from low-oxalate varieties. If you are prone to kidney stones, it might be best to avoid rhubarb altogether.

Rhubarb is a vegetable often thought to be a fruit. There's actually a good reason for this confusion: in 1947 the USDA classified it as a fruit because the tariffs on bringing fruits into the country were lower on fruits than vegetables. In actuality though, rhubarb is a vegetable - a member of the buckwheat family.

How do you get moisture out of rhubarb? ›

To solve this problem, I mix the rhubarb with the sugar. Over time, the sugar draws out the excess juices. This takes place overnight, while you're sleeping, and by the next morning, the rhubarb's ready to be put into the pie.

Cut into sticks. Scatter with sugar, add a splash of water and simmer gently for 8 minutes until soft and longer to cook it to a puree or compote.

To store: Keep the leaves on until you are ready to use as this helps to keep the rhubarb fresh. Store in the fridge. To prepare: Wash the stems and cut off the leaves and the ends. Cut into 2cm lengths, removing any strings if necessary.

Limp rhubarb can be perked up by standing the stems upright in chilled water for about an hour. A word of warning: rhubarb leaves are poisonous due to their relatively high oxalic acid content and must be discarded. The shredded leaves, mixed with water, were once used as an insecticide to spray over plants and bushes.