A step by step tutorial with photos to show you exactly how to freeze rhubarb so you can enjoy it all year round!
Rhubarb is definitely a polarizing ingredient-- either you love it, or you don't love it.
On it's own, rhubarb is very tart, however this tartness is absolutely amazing when paired with something sweet.
Personally I love love LOVE it! Sadly, rhubarb does not grow year round, but lucky for me, it's a breeze to freeze (that rhymes!), so we can stock up the freezer and enjoy it all year round.
How to use frozen rhubarb:
- in Rhubarb Muffins
- in a Rhubarb Coffee Cake
- in Rhubarb Sangria
- in a Rhubarb Pie or Rhubarb Crisp
- in a Rhubarb Smoothie
- in Rhubarb Jam
- in Rhubarb Sauce
- in Rhubarb Popsicles
How to Freeze Rhubarb:
Step one: If your rhubarb is fresh from the garden, remove the leaves (and keep them away from children as they are poisonous!).
Trim the ends and rinse your rhubarb down with cold water, removing all traces of dirt. Dry it gently with a towel, then chop into 1 inch pieces.
Step two: place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
Step three: freeze for 4 hours- overnight.
Step four: transfer to a freezer bag, labelled with the contents & date. Always label! You would be surprised how hard it can be to see what’s in the bags once frozen. To remove extra air from the bag, you can use a straw to suck it out.
Step five: freeze for up to 1 year.
Freezing Rhubarb 101:
Do I need to peel rhubarb? No. Just give it a good wash. There is no need to peel rhubarb.
Can you bake with frozen rhubarb? Yes! Frozen rhubarb can be used in crisps and muffins without thawing. I've never tried it in a pie before, but according to this recipe it is possible simply with a longer bake time.
Frozen rhubarb can also be used in a smoothie although you're probably going to want to pair it with a sweeter fruit because on it's own rhubarb is very tart.
Is frozen rhubarb as good as fresh? Rhubarb softens and releases some liquid after freeze/thawing. Since most recipes we use rhubarb involve cooking and softening it, this change in texture isn't a bad thing. There is little loss of flavor after thawing rhubarb.
Is frozen rhubarb poisonous? Confusing information is circulating the internet on this subject. First of all: freezing rhubarb in your kitchen will not cause it to be poisonous...it is perfectly healthy, in fact it is good for you! The issue arises if you harvest rhubarb from the garden after a frost (but...who's going to do that? The stalks would not be good anyway?).
Got it? Rhubarb you freeze in your kitchen- you are good. Rhubarb frozen by Mother Nature- beware.
How to store rhubarb in the fridge? First, remove the leaves and wash away any dirt. You can store whole (uncut) stalks in the fridge in an air tight container for up to a week. After that they can start to get dried out and rubbery.
Equipment:
- I highly recommend these baker’s half sheets
- pictured in this post are these reusable silicone freezer bags
, however you could also use a heavy duty freezer bag - a sharpie for labelling bags
, however you could also use a heavy duty freezer bag
for labelling bagsDid you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
How to freeze rhubarb
Ingredients
- 6-8 stalks rhubarb
Instructions
- If your rhubarb is fresh from the garden, remove the leaves (and keep them away from children as they are poisonous!).
- Trim the ends and rinse your rhubarb down with cold water, removing all traces of dirt. Dry it gently with a towel, then chop into 1 inch pieces.
- Arrange on a large baking sheet. I love these baker's half sheets.
- Freeze for 4 hours- overnight.
- Transfer to a freezer bag, labelled with the contents & date. Pictured in this post are these reusable silicone freezer bags.
- Freeze for up to 1 year!
Nutrition Information
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Related:
Mary Blaney says
I freeze my rhubarb in seal-a-meal bags with just the amount for a pie. When it thaws, I use all the liquid juice along with rhubarb. The flavor is also in the juice. I add 2 tbsp to ingredients in the pie for thickening. I find the juice makes a much tastier pie.
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Mary,
Thank you for sharing these helpful tips. I know someone will find this useful.😀
Charla says
Just the info I needed and the best part is it's an extremely easy to use format!!!! Thank you!
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Happy we could help. Thanks for commenting, Charla
Kathy says
I recently froze 32 cups of rhubarb! A neighbor was gifting it away and I was thrilled to help relieve him of the excess 🙂 I cut the leaves and trim the end, rinse the whole stalk, then chop into about 3/4 inch pieces. Fill my freezer bags with 2 cups per bag, and label. Since most recipes use some sort of liquid, I just reduce the water, milk, etc so the batter isn't runny. I've never drained my frozen rhubarb, in fact usually just thaw slightly, then mix into the batter. If you feel there is a lot of liquid, sprinkle a little flour or cornstarch. I love using the rhubarb year round for crisp, in a rhubarb quick bread, in pie, in a sweet sauce for ice cream. I've made sweet rolls with a cooked rhubarb filling and recently made blueberry rhubarb jam which is wonderful! Rhubarb pairs well with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, mulberries, peaches. My next experiment is as a more savory sauce for pork, as in bbq or a chutney.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Kathy, amazing! That sounds delicious. Thanks for all your tips! I hope you enjoy your rhubarb in this recipe 🙂
Margie says
please share the recipe for Rhubarb Quick Bread !!! SOUNDS FANTASTIC! (Thank you!)
Marlene Wilkins says
Thanks - I usually cook it down and have it in a bowl with sugar during the winter. This frozen way will give me more variety.
Sandra McCabe says
My friend gave me fresh rhubarb. We had a freeze to 30°. It then warmed back up to 80's. I think she harvested this several days after freeze, is it safe to use? Thank you so much.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Sandra! How long was it warmed back up for? Was it completely thawed out?
Diane says
Since frozen rhubarb has so much liquid when frozen, I double the amount needed for a pie., and then I squeeze the liquid out before using. Because of this, I double the amount of rhubarb to freeze. Am I correct in doing this?
Denise says
Hi Diane! I have never used rhubarb in a pie, and I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do it. Some recipes call for frozen rhubarb (without draining liquid) and just some extra cornstarch to thicken. Some recipes call for thawing the rhubarb and draining in a colander (but not wringing it out). I didn't find any that call for wringing it out, however if this works for you then you should keep doing it! Hope this helps!