Easy Stewed Rhubarb

Stewed rhubarb is one of the simplest and best desserts and the easiest, most versatile way to cook rhubarb that can then be used in other recipes.

If you are unsure of how to cook rhubarb, let me show you how to get the best results every time.

Easy stewed rhubarb

The earliest fruit in the British garden, rhubarb is a traditional staple and a springtime delight.

There was a time when every back garden and allotment had a stand of rhubarb. Easy to grow and tolerant of the British climate, it was an absolute essential to our grandparents.

As we have become more and more urbanised, however, rhubarb has been pushed to the margins of our cooking.

While the French and the Germans still treasure their rhubarb, I suspect that many people here have lost confidence with this lovely tart fruit and are unsure of how to cook it. If you are in doubt, read on!

Making the most of rhubarb

If you are in any doubt, stewing is the place to start. This stewed rhubarb recipe uses just three ingredients plus a little water, so it couldn’t be simpler. This means it’s ideal for novice and less-than-confident cooks.

Stewed rhubarb is delicious served simply, with custard, cream, yoghurt or ice cream. It makes a lovely addition to your morning porridge or can be a topping for a luscious cheesecake.

You can also use your stewed rhubarb as a filling in recipes for crumbles or pies.

I like rhubarb stewed with orange best and that’s what I have used in this recipe. Other flavours like ginger and vanilla work very well too, however. Later in the season you can add strawberries.

Rhubarb is a tart fruit and needs sugar. I’ve kept it to a minimum in this recipe but you really do need it.

Choosing rhubarb

Although we eat it as a fruit, rhubarb is actually the stem of a herbaceous plant. In other words, it’s more of a vegetable, like celery.

If you have access to a stand of rhubarb, you should pick it before the stems get too bulky. Choose stems that are about as thick as your thumb.

Always pull the stems away from the plant, rather than cutting them, which can ‘wound’ the plant. Twist them off so that you take the rounded bit at the bottom that fits around the crown.

If you are going to buy rhubarb from the grocers or the market, then you want fresh, firm stems. Avoid any that are floppy or too fibrous.

Either way, the rhubarb needs to be trimmed. Cut off any slight ridge of brown matter at the root end and all of the leaf. Rhubarb leaves can cause food poisoning.

Pink or green?

The difference in colour is partly down to different varieties but generally the youngest and earliest rhubarb is both more pink in colour and more tender.

The pinkest rhubarb is forced rhubarb. This is rhubarb grown under a dark cloche or cover, or in the commercial sheds that are found across Yorkshire’s ‘Rhubarb Triangle’.

These plants are kept a little warmer than they would naturally be. Depriving them of light encourages them to shoot upwards in search of the sun.

Only the first picking of the season is forced, and it is available through late winter, from the beginning of January into March.

Why make stewed rhubarb

• This stewed rhubarb recipe is so easy to make – just 10 minutes to prepare and cook.

• It is delicious!

• Stewed rhubarb is adaptable, so mix up the flavours to suit your taste.

• It will keep for a week in the fridge, so you can make a big batch once a week.

Stewed rhubarb ingredients

• Rhubarb – the fresher the better, so see my notes above on choosing rhubarb

• Orange – you want the zest, so choose unwaxed and wash well

• Sugar – white or golden sugar, granulated or caster is fine.

How to make stewed rhubarb – step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step tutorial, with photos, hints and tips so you can make perfect stewed rhubarb that holds it shape.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Wash and trim the rhubarb, top and tail. Then cut the stems into even pieces about 1–1.5″ long.

Step Two – Put the rhubarb in a saucepan and then use a microplane-style grater to zest the orange into the pan.
Take care to grate only the zest. Avoid the bitter white pith.

Once zested put the orange in the fridge, and juice or eat within two days before it dries out.

Step Three – Add the sugar and water.

Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
You only need a very little water, because lots of juice will come out of the rhubarb as it cooks. You can always add a little more later.

Give it a swirl to mix. Put the lid on the pan and let the rhubarb gently simmer for about 5 minutes on the lowest heat.

Step Four – The rhubarb is ready when it is tender but still holds its shape. Allow to cool and transfer to a lidded container to store.

At this stage, it is suitable for decorating cheesecakes and tartlets but if you prefer your rhubarb to break down completely, you can cook it a little longer or break it up by stirring.

Serving suggestion

Stewed rhubarb is one of my favourite breakfast add-ons. Serve it with yoghurt, on overnight oats, or bircher muesli, or on porridge or oatmeal.

For a pudding, it is delicious mixed into a syllabub, or stir through whipped cream to fill a pavlova.

You can also add some frozen mixed berries to the cooked rhubarb to make a delicious compote.

Variations

• Stewed rhubarb and ginger – Grate some fresh ginger in instead, or together with the orange zest.
  
  You could also use some finely chopped stem ginger together with some of the ginger syrup. If you do this, you should reduce the water and sugar slightly.
  
  If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can use a little ground ginger, though fresh is always nicer.

• Stewed Rhubarb and Vanilla – Leave out the orange zest and add a little vanilla extract.

• Stewed Rhubarb and Apple – Add two peeled and chopped Bramley apples. You could also use ripe pears.

Storage

The stewed rhubarb will keep in a covered container in the fridge for a week.

Freeze in a sealed container. Defrost overnight in the fridge, all ready for breakfast!

Hints and Tips

• Go gently on the water. It is very easy to add too much and make a watery stewed rhubarb. If you do end up with too much rhubarb syrup, try diluting it with sparkling water to make a summery drink.

• Rhubarb is quite tart, but feel free to adjust the sugar to taste.

• To keep some texture and shape, cook your rhubarb very gently. It can very quickly turn to mush!

• You can use any type of rhubarb, whether it’s pretty pink forced rhubarb, or green from the garden, later in the season. Many supermarkets stock bags of frozen rhubarb, which are ideal to use out of season.

FAQS

More rhubarb recipes

• Vanilla and Rhubarb Syllabub – Use some of your stewed rhubarb in this delicious dessert

• Rhubarb and Ginger Gin – A lovely warming liqueur

• Rhubarb and Orange Prossecco Cocktail – A gorgeous celebration drink for all occasions

• Easy Rhubab Jam – The simplest of home preserves

• Rhubarb and Orange Traybake – A teatime treat