FOOD FACTS

Buying and Storing

Look for crisp, firm stalks. Colour may vary from various shades of green to deep ruby red. Greenhouse rhubarb has very small bright yellow-green leaves, rosier-coloured stalks, and milder flavour than that grown naturally outdoors.

Wrap and refrigerate. Rhubarb can also be frozen if cleaned and cut into pieces or blanched and covered with a light syrup.

Preparing and Using

Rhubarb cooked as a sauce is a favourite. You can also make it into a custard pie, baked crumble or crisp, use in sweet-and-sour chutneys, simmer it in a sugar and ginger syrup to make compotes - or make it into wine.

It's a good partner with other fruit, such as strawberries, in pies, tarts and preserves because it tends to take on the flavour of such fruits.

Caution: Avoid eating rhubarb leaves. They contain oxalic acid which irritates the inside of the mouth and, in some cases, can be fatal.