For the villagers, rhubarb is the same common vegetable crop as sorrel, spicy greens, or other vegetables. But citywives of rhubarb are used infrequently for the simple reason that it is not always possible to buy it on the market.
Despite the fact that rhubarb is a large beautiful leaves on long, thick stems, it is the petioles and stems that go into food.
Rhubarb has a choleretic effect, stabilizes the bowels, acts as a laxative. It improves blood circulation.
In rhubarb there are vitamins A, B1, B2, PP, C, as well as calcium, iron, pectins, citric and malic acids.
But in addition to these substances, it also contains oxalic acid, which destroys calcium in the body and contributes to the appearance of kidney stones.
However, oxalic acid in a plant increases with its growth. Therefore, the older the rhubarb, the more oxalic acid will be in it. That is why only young stalks and scapes are eaten.
But they quickly grow old, so the housewives have no choice but to harvest rhubarb for the winter so that it can be used as food during the cold season. For example, freeze. Especially since rhubarb tolerates this procedure well.
Rhubarb is not recommended to eat raw. From it prepare mousses, soups, cereals, fillings for pies, jelly.
Preparing rhubarb to freeze
- For freezing, you need to take only young rhubarb with no signs of damage and decay.
- Young stalks can be frozen without peeling off the upper skin. In harsh petioles, the upper layer must be removed.
- Rhubarb stalks are washed in running water before freezing, then dried.
- Rhubarb can be frozen as whole petioles, and cut into pieces that are optimal for eating.
- It is convenient to store it in plastic containers or in special packages for freezing.
- If it is supposed to make cream, mousse, jam or sauce from frozen rhubarb, then it can be frozen in the form of mashed potatoes, put up in plastic portion containers. To do this, use cups of yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese.
How to freeze fresh rhubarb
- Cut the leaves in rhubarb. Petioles with a rough surface clean the upper skin.
- Rinse the stems under running cold water.
- Spread out on a clean towel and dry thoroughly, otherwise the stalks will freeze each other during freezing.
- Cut the stalks into equal pieces. What will be their size, decide immediately, based on future culinary dishes. To make rhubarb, cut into small cubes. For compotes, it can be cut larger.
- So that chopped rhubarb does not turn into one solid lump during freezing, place it in one layer on a tray with a flat surface. Put in the fridge and freeze. After that, the cubes of rhubarb can be poured into small plastic bags, to release all the air out of them, if possible, and to close with a zip-fastener.
- Put the packaged rhubarb into the freezer.
How to freeze blanched rhubarb
- In rhubarb, separate the leaves from the stalks. If the petioles are rough, clean them from the upper skin. Rinse in cold water.
- Cut the stalks into pieces.
- In small batches, put the rhubarb in a colander and immerse it in boiling water for 1 minute. Then cool quickly in cold water.
- Put the chopped rhubarb on a towel and dry.
- Spread it evenly on a parchment-covered tray and send it to the freezer.
- When the rhubarb freezes, pack in plastic containers, close the lids and store in the freezer.
How to freeze rhubarb with sugar
- Cut the leaves of young rhubarb. If necessary, remove the skin. Rinse in cold water. Put on a towel and dry well.
- Cut into small pieces. Put in a bowl.
- Mix the rhubarb with sugar at the rate of 1 cup of sugar for 4 glasses of chopped rhubarb.
- Packaged in plastic containers. Put it in the freezer.
- When the rhubarb froze a little, remove it from the freezer and mix, breaking the frozen pieces with your hands.
- Close the lids again and put them in the freezer for the final freeze.
How to freeze rhubarb puree
- Prepare rhubarb: cut the leaves, peel the stalks, rinse in cold water.
- Cut each scape into several pieces and chop in a blender. In mashed potatoes, you can put sugar to taste and mix well.
- Puree put in small plastic cups. Close the lids. Put it in the freezer.
How to thaw rhubarb
Properly prepared rhubarb is stored in the freezer for about a year.
Rhubarb thaw in the plus compartment of the refrigerator or at room temperature.
You need to defrost as much as you plan to use at once, because such rhubarb is not re-freezing.
