How to Dehydrate Rhubarb

Let's learn how to dehydrate rhubarb. This is all you need to know for making delicious rhubarb pies, jams, and smoothies!

Dehydrating Rhubarb

Easy instructions for how to dehydrate rhubarb is coming up! 

Rhubarb is great for pies, desserts, and tarts, and smoothies too. Here are instructions on how to re-hydrate your rhubarb (or any fruits and vegetables).


Rhubarb Nutrition Info.

Rhubarb is a good source of vitamin A, and vitamin C, followed by Folate, and Choline.

As far as minerals go, rhubarb is a fantastic source of Potassium and Calcium, followed by Phosphorus with trace amounts of Selenium, Iron, Manganese, and Zinc! Rhubarb also contains Omega-6 fatty acids.





"Yunky" !!

When my dad was a kid, he and his friends used to call rhubarb "yunky"—and that's meant in a good way. He can't for the life of him remember why they called it that!

Fresh rhubarb stalks

When I was a kid, I remember going to the back garden and even nipping over the neighbor's fence—to break off stalks of rhubarb (the shame of it), and then rush home with it!

Maybe this is something I should grow myself? ... then I don't have to scale walls and fences and get skinned knees!

Back in the kitchen with my goodies, I dipped the ends into sugar and ate it raw. OMG. I used to eat too much of it and ended up with a stomachache!





This Knife Makes Chopping & Slicing Easy!

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Drat! Looks like my fave knife is unavailable right now... so here's another chef's knife with a full tang (that means the handle and blade "are one" so they can't come apart when we're slicin' and a dicin').

* As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. The price you pay doesn't increase.

How to Dehydrate Rhubarb

  1. Rinse in water and then slice your rhubarb into 1" chunks
  2. Steam your rhubarb until it is slightly tender
  3. Place the rhubarb on your food dehydrator trays
  4. Turn on your dehydrator and set the temperature between 125°F and 135°F
    (or per your food dehydrator's instructions).
  • Drying time: between 6-14 hours
  • Dehydrated rhubarb will feel leathery when dried.
  • Remember to rotate your food dehydrator trays, for even drying.

Great Rhubarb in the UK!

As mentioned above about my having rhubarb in the neighbor's yard, I think I remember seeing a few stalks growing in our own yard too—but it's that 'grass is greener on the other side' syndrome! LOL 

Anyway, just wanted to say that living in the UK, with plentiful rain, and 'some sun', they sure have perfect growing conditions.

I'm comparing this to where I live now, in sunny hot central Florida. When you get older, you realize that when you were young that you didn't even know that something as special as fresh rhubarb would become something not to take for granted.

Rhubarb in our local grocery store is not cheap, so when it's in season at the store, I get busy dehydrating rhubarb!

Rhubarb Recipes

Rhubarb Pie from AllRecipes

Here's a great place to check out AllRecipes Rhubarb Recipes

How to Make Rhubarb Sauce

Rhubarb sauce is often served with ice cream or desserts.

Recipe for rhubarb sauce:

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound fresh rhubarb, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. In a saucepan, combine rhubarb, sugar, and water.
  2. Cook over low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the rhubarb is soft, about 10 minutes.
  3. Mash the rhubarb with a spoon or an immersion blender.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the rhubarb sauce and stir until thickened.
  5. Pour into a serving dish and refrigerate until chilled.

Best Areas to Grow Rhubarb?

Rhubarb growing in a fieldUsed by Permission / Canva registered user

Rhubarb grows best in cold climates and can tolerate frost. Rhubarb prefers well-drained soil that is high in organic matter. Rhubarb plants should be spaced 3 to 4 feet apart. Rhubarb is typically harvested in the spring or early summer.

When Is Rhubarb Ready to Harvest?

Rhubarb is ready to harvest when the stalks are at least 12 inches long. Rhubarb should be harvested in the morning when the stalks are crisp. To harvest, cut the stalk at the base of the plant with a sharp knife.

What Are the Different Types of Rhubarb?

There are several different types of rhubarb that you can grow. Some of the most popular varieties include:

Victoria Rhubarb: Victoria rhubarb is a type of rhubarb that is early-maturing and cold-tolerant. Victoria rhubarb has green stalks with red tips.

Hales Best Jumbo Rhubarb: Hales Best Jumbo rhubarb is a type of rhubarb that is large and has dark green stalks.

Canada Red Rhubarb: Canada Red rhubarb is a type of rhubarb that is cold-tolerant and has red stalks.

How Do You Store Rhubarb?

Rhubarb can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Rhubarb can also be frozen for longer-term storage. To freeze, wash and cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces. Spread the pieces on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the rhubarb to a freezer bag or container.

If you're looking to free-up freezer space, then dehydrate it. That's what this page is here for!


Susan Gast owner, Easy Food Dehydrating plus Finally-Keto.com and SusanGast.com

Susan Gast began Easy Food Dehydrating in December 2010. Read Susan's story of what sparked her interest in all things related to "food dehydrating."

She is featured on Mother Earth News blog, and on Solo Build It (SBI) who host this site. Read her first SBI interview, and her second SBI interview.

Since 1980, Susan's involvement in publishing - in one form or another - led her to create a "review site" of products related to the publishing industry. Visit ePubTechReviews today, also hosted by Solo Build It. Susan also runs her namesake site SusanGast.com on Solo Build It that showcases the books she has written since 2010.

Do you want to send Susan a quick message? Visit her contact page here. She'd love to hear from you!

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