RHUBARB ALWAYS LOOKS slightly alarming to me.
Those long pink-red stalks show up at the market looking like celery in drag, and I immediately start making plans. Crisps. Compotes. Cakes. Pies. Something with strawberries, because I’m not made of stone.
The beauty of rhubarb is its edge. That tartness is the reason we love it. Without it, rhubarb would just be another pretty ingredient waiting around for purpose. But cooked with sugar, fruit, spice, citrus, or custard, it gives desserts that little electric zing that keeps them from being merely sweet.
And the season is short. Not tragic-short. Not Puccini-short. But short enough that when you see good rhubarb, you should grab it and make the thing.
These nine recipes are built for exactly that moment: when the stalks are here, the oven is calling, and you’re ready for something sweet-tart, bright, and gloriously May.
Chow,
Balance the tartness. Sugar, honey, berries, citrus, and vanilla all help round it out.
Mind the texture. Rhubarb softens quickly, so watch it closely.
Go beyond strawberry. Try ginger, orange, apple, custard, or buttery crumble.
Don’t judge by color alone. Pink stalks are pretty; greenish ones can still taste terrific. The color of a rhubarb stalk only indicates its variety. Period.
Use it while it’s here. Rhubarb season gives you a small window. Clamber through it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.73 from 79 votes
Easy rhubarb jam is exactly that. Easy. Made from just rhubarb, sugar, lemon, water, and a little stirring, it makes simple, pretty, and perfect preserves that taste just like old-fashioned rhubarb jam. No prior canning experience required. Here’s how to make it at home.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.89 from 18 votes
Rhubarb vodka. The simple homemade hooch—made from rhubarb, vodka, and sugar—makes a pretty spring sipper or mix it with club soda or pour a glug into bubbly, or...you get the idea.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.82 from 16 votes
Leftovers of this easy rhubarb crisp are great for breakfast; just substitute yogurt for the whipped cream.
This rhubarb brown sugar pie marries a sweet-tart rhubarb and brown sugar filling with a tender, flaky butter crust. The result is pie perfection.
This peach and rhubarb jam preserves the flavor of ripe, juicy peaches and tart rhubarb, which means you can be reminded of summer even on the coldest winter day.
This simple, classic rhubarb pie can be made using fresh or frozen rhubarb. Either way, it will incite memories of grandma.
Rhubarb-ginger crostata is simply a fancy way to say single crust rhubarb pie. Easy yet elegant in a rustic sorta fashion.
If anything screams spring and summer, it’s the combination of strawberry and rhubarb. Tart, sweet, and gently spiced with ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon, it’s just as scrumptious for breakfast as it is for dessert.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 from 19 votes
Use the best, freshest ingredients available to add extra flavor to this twist on the classic strawberry-rhubarb pie.
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