Easy Rhubarb Crisp Recipe [+ Video] - Savory Nothings (2024)

FAQs

Why is my rhubarb crisp runny? ›

You need to incorporate a thickener in rhubarb fillings in order to thicken the juices and gel them so that the filling is jammy and set, not watery and overly loose. Flour is an easy choice, but flour creates a filling that is more opaque and white-ish.

Rhubarb is usually known for its extremely sour flavor that's best tempered with a generous amount of sugar and other fruits to produce sweet stalks (check out these recipes for some inspo).

No, you do not need to peel rhubarb before cooking it. The skin of rhubarb stalks is edible, and it softens during cooking. Just make sure you wash the stalks before cooking them.

The rhubarb plant is a "heavy feeder." The plant must take in large amounts of nutrients from the soil to produce its large stalks and leaves. Make it an annual practice to supplement the soil with either a balanced commercial fertilizer or rich compost, or both.

Many suggest dipping the stalk in sugar or some other sweet, such as honey, maple syrup or agave nectar, to mellow its tartness a touch. Sprinkling diced rhubarb over yogurt or cereal is an option too.

Harvest rhubarb for 8-10 weeks in the spring and early summer—from May to June in the northern hemisphere. To pick rhubarb, grasp a stalk, twist it, and pull it away from the base of the plant. Avoid cutting the stalks off the plant, which could lead to diseases like crown rot.

Orange juice and dried fruits (such as dates, says Mark Bittman in “How to Cook Everything;” currants work well, too) along with cinnamon or perhaps cloves can help cut back on the need for added sugar.

To keep it sugar free you could use a little stevia, for a low fructose option you could use either rice syrup or coconut nectar, or if you're a honey fan, a little raw honey would combine beautifully with the ginger and vanilla.

Rhubarb can be eaten in a number of ways. It is usually used in jams and desserts, which contain plenty of added sugar. That said, it's easy to use in low-sugar recipes — or even cooked with no sugar at all.

Sennoside A and other dianthrone derivatives are reported to be the active ingredients causing rhubarb's laxative effect (6). They are metabolized by β-glucosidase of enterobacterial origin and are converted into rhein anthrone, which produces the purgative activity.

What part of rhubarb can you not eat? ›

Rhubarb leaves are toxic and humans should never ingest them. The stems are safe to eat.

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.

“You do not need to wash the stalks until you are ready to use them or freeze them,” says Cooper. “When you are ready to use fresh rhubarb, rinse them for 20 seconds with water and dry on a clean cloth.” Remove and throw away leaves and trim the ends of the rhubarb.

Spread a single layer of cut rhubarb on trays, freeze until firm (1 to 2 hours), then put in air tight bags or containers. Rhubarb may also be frozen with sugar or syrup. For a sugar pack, mix 1 part sugar and 4 parts rhubarb and allow to stand until sugar is dissolved before packing into freezer containers.

Not adding a thickener

Fruit is naturally watery, and when it bakes, that liquid cooks out and mixes with your sugar and spices to create a delicious sauce. However, you don't want your apple crisp weeping everywhere. Just toss in a little cornstarch or tapioca starch with your fruit before baking.

If you think it's too wet, add a little more flour to soak up the extra butter.

Thankfully the science of baking has an easy trick up its sleeve to deal with this, and all it involves is tossing your rhubarb with some sugar. Mixing your fresh fruit with sugar and letting it sit is called maceration, and it helps draw excess liquid out of your rhubarb before it cooks out and leaves your pie soggy.