Quote:
Originally Posted by Deborah
OK, I tried it. I thought I'd get a kind of pink jam.
I got beige fibrous-y stuff that smelled gross.
I tasted a raw piece and it had no real flavor or tartness.
I thought rhubarb cooks down to pink?
|
There are different varieties of rhubarb. Some green some nice and red, some in between. Cooking reduces the color intensity. Rhubard gets its tart from oxalic acid. (of course leaves are a toxicity risk and a no no
)Tartness varies by variety and (in my experience) very much from growing conditions. Some gardens will produce sweeter rhubarb of the same variety than others. Slower growing can mean more tart but too slow can be downright bitter. Very fast growth seems to be milder. I have no idea how commercial varieties such as found in the supermarket tend to run. I only eat rhubarb I've grown or that one of the ladies bring to church from their garden in the form of a pie
I like Macdonald (red) and Victoria (mix of red and green). I had some Valentine (red of course) at my last house as well. I think the more tart makes the best pies, but then I like tart things. I've met some pretty tart rhubarb but very few i didn't like ever since my first mouth puckering bite of a tart pie when I was a child at my great Aunt Jenny's table.
