Rhubarb or (rhubarb) is fairly easy to cook. This plant contains a lot of vitamins A, C, calcium, and potassium. This plant can also be used in a variety of dishes or eaten alone. Rhubarb is also easy to grow. So, if there's still land around the house, try growing it to cook fresh rhubarb straight from the garden!
Ingredients
- 1 kg of rhubarb
- 300 g powdered sugar
- Water
- A pinch of salt (optional)
Step
Step 1. Wash the stems then cut off the ends near the leaves
Step 2. Cut the rhubarb stalks into small pieces
The size of the pieces of rhubarb can be adjusted according to your taste, but should be around 2-3 cm.
Step 3. Place the rhubarb pieces and sugar in a thick-bottomed saucepan
Pour a little water to soak the rhubarb.
Step 4. Cover the pot
Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally the rhubarb pieces so they don't stick. The rhubarb is cooked when it has softened and the fibers are clearly visible in the mixture.
Step 5. Remove the pan and let it cool
Step 6. Strain the water if the rhubarb is to be used in a recipe
This cooking water can be used to make syrup if you wish. Or, if the rhubarb is served without other side dishes, leave the boiled water as part of the dish.
Tips
- Rhubarb stems come in a variety of colors, from green to red. Store the rhubarb in the refrigerator or the plant will wilt.
- Always remove the rhubarb leaves before cutting and washing the stems to remove dirt.
- Try sugar substitutes like honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, or rice syrup if you want to avoid sugar. Rhubarb cooked without sweetener will taste very sour and only some people might like it! Plus, substituting sugar for honey is the chef's secret in cooking delicious rhubarb dishes!
- Rhubarb can be frozen after cooking.
- Rhubarb and vla are the traditional way to eat them. Rhubarb can also be served as a breakfast dish.
- Another way to reduce sugar is to add flavorings such as grated orange zest. This will make the taste of the dish more complex while reducing the natural acidity of the rhubarb. For example, you can use about 1 quart of chopped rhubarb (about 1 kg), 1 1/2 teaspoons grated dried orange peel, and only 1/4 cup honey or sugar.
- Some cooks replace the water with orange juice or add vanilla sticks. Spices are also often added. The use of seasoning is determined by your taste, and how much of the flavor of the rhubarb you want to reduce.
- Replace granulated sugar with brown sugar or raw sugar.
- Rhubarb can also be canned. Prepare sterile jars with lid rings. Bring the rhubarb to a boil, place in jars, and heat in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- Just use sugar as in the recipe if you don't like sweetness too much. Or, try using half of it.
- Pour the sugar into the rhubarb pieces and leave for 2 hours. This method will extract the rhubarb juice which can then be boiled without the addition of water. It tastes delicious!
Warning
- Try not to add too much liquid, or the rhubarb will become too soft. It is better to add less liquid if needed again during cooking than to pour too much liquid. One way to cook rhubarb without water is to pour sugar into the rhubarb pieces and let them sit for 3-4 hours before cooking.
- Use glass or stainless steel utensils when cooking rhubarb to avoid reaction with the acid in it.
- Never eat rhubarb leaves because it contains toxic materials such as oxalic acid. Although the lethal dose is estimated at around 5 kg (nearly impossible for human consumption at one time), it is suspected that other toxic substances are still present in the rhubarb leaves. So, for safety's sake, don't use rhubarb leaves in cooking.
