I expect a fair few home-growers have started harvesting rhubarb this week....me too. I'm not a huge fan so I just have a tub of it growing in the back garden, just outside the lean-to (I used to have it in the ground on the allotment but decided I'd rather use the area for something else...the spot is now occupied by a Saskatoon bush).
I meant to split the crown this winter to re-invigorate the plant but didn't get round to it, but it's looking ok so far. I pulled the three largest stems.
But a few days later I was on the allotment and popped onto my friend's plot (the chap in a wheelchair) to see if any help was needed....to discover absolutely huge plants down the far end of his plot. I don't know how he does it....everything grows so well! So we shared the harvest - he had 5, I had these 6 (Too big to fit on the chopping board) and I gave another 5 to another chap on the allotments. There'll be more to pick soon too. Crumbs....(or should I say 'crumble').
Actually I didn't make a crumble, I've made rhubarb flapjack instead (twice). The recipe uses softened fruit, and as I don't like rhubarb massively I add in berries from the freezer to mix it up a bit. Because there was so much rhubarb I had enough fruit mix left to freeze a couple of tubs of it too.
Yummy
For the flapjack I use a recipe that I adapted last year, which you can see on this post from August.
I've not harvested much else, but on the kitchen windowsill I have a few pots of onions for adding into salads etc. These were small onion sets that I had leftover after planting the rest on the allotment. I tried to do something similar with them last year in the garden but kept forgetting about them so never picked any....here in the kitchen I can't miss them.
Snipped onto a leek a potato soup from the freezer
In the back garden....
You'll have to forgive the terrible pic, the sun was very bright so you can see my reflection and I couldn't really see what I was photographing! Anyway, I've set up two wigwams for beans (one in each raised bed) and also tied canes to the fence for them too. Beans do much better in my back garden than the allotment. I've sown two bean seeds at the base of each pole - a mixture of runners, borlotti and blauhilde purple French bean.
My plastic mesh 'gate' into the left hand raised bed has broken, so I thought I'd have a go at making a very rustic one from buddliea trimmings. It's not finished yet as I ran out of twine, but I've quite enjoyed making it (and it's free apart from the twine). I don't know how sturdy it will be but really just needs to keep the cats out (including my own little kitty).
I've started hardening off my seedlings too...in fact I need to bring them back inside now....
So that's it from me, thanks for reading. I'm linking in with Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres
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That is some lovely rhubarb! I am like you regarding rhubarb. I like it best when mixed with other fruit. I like your flapjack recipe and I will give it a shot with some of our smallish rhubarb harvests. What a great idea using the muesli instead of oats. I have muesli every morning for breakfast, but I never thought about using it for 'crumbles' and the like. It looks like your gate is off to a good start!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave. With having a piece of muesli flapjack every afternoon it's been like having breakfast twice! (Except the milk). We've eaten it all up now and I'm pondering making another one....hmmm
DeleteMmm, I love rhubarb and I'm weeks away from having any to harvest. Those are some pretty big stalks you've got there.
ReplyDeleteAnd nice job on the rustic gate, it looks great.
Thanks Susie, I haven't had chance to finish off the gate yet, so maybe next week. At the moment it's being a garden ornament.
DeleteI'm sure your rhubarb will be worth the wait :)
That's a great idea to grow green onions on the windowsill. I need to do that so I'm more likely to use them. Your flapjack looks delicious. And seedlings spending a day outside always warms my heart.
ReplyDeleteAll the pole beans planted around our wigwams have started to pop out of the ground, so exciting.
Thanks phoung, yes it definitely helps having the onions on the windowsill, although I do still sometimes forget to use them, hehe.
DeleteIt's turned chilly again today so I brought my seedlings back inside earlier than usual....hopefully the warm days will return soon.
Ooh that's great about your pole beans, I love seeing them push out of the ground. After a dry spell we've had a bit of rain this week which will hopefully spur mine on. I need to keep an eye out for slugs though.
I have rhubarb in my garden also but almost never harvest it. I avoid sugar as much as possible these days and since rhubarb really needs to be sweetened I don't eat it any more. I wish I could find a way to use it that isn't sweet.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle, I do eat sugar but try to use as little as possible. In the recipe I've used dates and honey to replace some of the sugar. Could you use either of them? I also remember something about using a spray made from steeped rhubarb leaves to ward off plant pests, though have never tried it. And something about placing a leaf in the base of a pot to put-off pests too. Sorry I can't remember the exact details though.
DeleteWe too have harvested some group this week.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoyed it sue :)
DeleteLovely rhubarb, I'm a big fan of it, but like Michelle I'm aware of the sugar factor. I've made crumble and also rhubarb shortbread so far this year. Your garden's looking lovely, the woven buddleia is brilliant. And how healthy your seedlings are looking. Lots of rain here today, which is saving me any watering. I can see the snails are on the move though. They've already finished off all of my lettuces. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteHi CJ nice to hear from you. Yeh I don't like overly sugary food, so have used dates and honey instead of some of the sugar and golden syrup from the original recipe. I'm probably eating too many oats each day though, for breakfast in muesli and then for afternoon snack!
DeleteI like re-using prunings etc, feels very self-sufficient :)
I keep having to check the underside of the trays when I bring the seedlings back in at night...slugs keep trying to sneak in. And on the allotment nearly a row of broad beans have been reduced to stumps, plus all my parsnip seedlings have been nibbled away...wah! But now I've realised it's happening I'll keep an eye out. I have a few parsnip seeds left so will have another go with them, and the broad beans might regrow.
I've been enjoying all your lovely photos CJ. Hope you get your blog comment thing fixed :)
I transplanted my Rhubarb last year, so I didn't pick any because I wanted it to settle-in, but this year I think I will be able to pick a few stalks. Like you, I only like it in small quantities. Without adding masses of sugar it is very "tart" :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mark, very wise not to pick any rhubarb for the first year. Yes it's definitely rather tart, another reason to mix it up with other fruit if you have it :) I read somewhere that rhubarb and strawberries go well together...just remembered!
DeleteI'm one of the few people that doesn't seem to be a big rhubarb fan - probably because I didn't grow up eating it. It's actually a bit unusual for me as I usually gravitate towards tart foods. We had a big plant in our last house & I made a couple of things with it, but it ended up being more about using it than actually enjoying what I made, so I stopped.
ReplyDelete