This years rhubarb picking has come to a close .. I love my rhubarb its so versatile… early in the season I  bake the first picking gently, with a little dark brown sugar – delish with yogurt..

Schnapps is excellent – if you use the small stems from champagne rhubarb, even better..

It’s  super easy – fill a Kilner or similar a third full of chopped young pink rhubarb, add a couple of tablespoons of sugar and top up with vodka; leave 3 months or longer, giving it a good shake every so often.[A nice gift to give around crimbo time] I also make pies, yogurts crumbles.. etc.. and freeze some stalks for later in the year. This year I’m trying my hand at some rhubarb wine – more on that later!

When the stalks get older  it’s time for jam and chutney. Rhubarb and ginger is a good one.. For the past few weeks I’ve been pulling and freezing in readiness for some jam making

The time to stop pulling it is when the first gooseberries are ready, around  the end of  June/July, this is when the acid is beginning to concentrate in the plant, leaving it bitter and unpalatable.
I use the leaves too – boil them up in water, strain, and use as a spray against black fly on broad beans and nasturtiums. Of coarse, they’re put on my compost heap too.

If your in need of some inspiration for recipes – Look here The frozen yoghurt’s divine!

See… such a versatile plant!