If you enjoy eating fresh, locally grown fruit, early spring is probably not your favorite time of year. Unless you live in Florida or Southern California, pickings can be mighty slim during the months between when the last apples drop from the trees in autumn and the first berries begin to pop up in early summer. But you can satisfy your sweet tooth right now with one of spring’s earliest growing vegetables.
Technically an herb, rhubarb is generally considered a fruit for culinary purposes. It grows in crispy, fibrous stalks with leafy tops, similar to celery, and is usually pink to bright red in color.
Though the leaves are toxic, the stalks are edible, and are a springtime favorite. Their tart flavor makes a wonderful complement for sweeter flavors, including strawberries. Many people also enjoy eating raw rhubarb stalks dipped in sugar!
Where Does Rhubarb Grow?
Rhubarb grows best in northern climates, because it requires temperatures below 40° F to stimulate growth. It generally comes into season in late April or early May, and can be harvested throughout the summer.
Want to grow your own rhubarb? See how it’s done!
Rhubarb Recipes
Enjoy nature’s dessert vegetable with some of these sweet rhubarb treats:
Celebrate National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day on June 9th!
Rhubarb Marmalade
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Rhubarb Muffins
Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
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