Rhubarb Curd
One of my favorite ‘genres’ of social media videos are the videos where cute hobby farmers in the country show you what they’ve sold out of their tiny, very well decorated, home farm stands. Usually, the stands are full of breads, jams, produce, eggs, and other little bits and bobs like cut flowers and everything sells very well. But I stumbled across a video where the entirety of a farm stand was sold out with the exception of the rhubarb stalks. Which, to me, is blasphemy- they would have been the first thing I grabbed! Now, rhubarb gets a bad rap. I think most people in the US aren’t quite sure how to cook with it, but also there’s the ‘it’s poisonous!’ stigma. And while yes, the leaves are toxic (more on that below) the stalks are incredible- full of flavor, super versatile, and such a fun product of spring!
So, let’s talk the rhubarb leaves. Should you eat them? No. They’re not particularly tasty, they’re tough, and *technically* they are poisonous. They are high in oxalic acid– which in smaller concentrations is totally fine (you’ll find it in plants like beets, spinach, almonds, and even chocolate) but in rhubarb the levels are particularly high, so they are considered inedible. That being said, if you accidentally ate a bit of rhubarb leaf you’d be fine. In order to get ‘poisoned’ by rhubarb leaves, a 150 pound person would need to consume FIVE POUNDS of leaves. So, if you’re nervous about cooking rhubarb because you don’t want to accidentally toss a leaf in- don’t worry about it!
Also, yes, I completely understand how rhubarb can be intimidating. A couple of the issues with rhubarb I’ve heard of are they’re fibrous/have a difficult texture and that they can be bitter. Let’s address those! Rhubarb is fibrous, but not in the way that celery is. When I’m cooking with celery I tend to break off the top and fold to remove some of the extra fibrous strings so they don’t get in the way if I’m not cooking it completely. However, while rhubarb is great to make ribbons out of, the fibers of rhubarb break down completely- you won’t have to fish any fiber out of a finished dish! That being said, because rhubarb does break down so thoroughly, it can get ‘mushy,’ but I lean into it! I’ve added strawberries to make a Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Jam and in this curd the texture turns to silk! As for bitter or sour flavors? It is, while raw, but just like chocolate when you add sweetness to the bitter it balances incredibly well!
Rhubarb Curd Ingredients
2 Cup Rhubarb Stalks, Diced
¼ Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Water
¼ Cup Butter, Cubed
3 Eggs
Optional: 1 Tbs Pitaya Powder (or another similar powder, *or* a couple drops of food coloring.
So, a curd without lemon? Yes! One of the fun things about rhubarb is that it is naturally acidic (though slightly less so than lemon), so the juice of the rhubarb is used in place of citrus to create curd.
Rhubarb Curd Method
To prep the rhubarb stalks wash them well and then ‘top and tail’ each stalk by removing any white root and where the stalk branches into leaves. Then slice vertically into ½ inch strips and finally dice horizontally. You should end up with small cubes that are about half an inch square.
In a small saucepan on medium- high heat combine rhubarb, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium low to simmer. Cook for about ten minutes until the rhubarb is soft and broken down.
Using a spatula to help, pass the rhubarb mixture through a sieve over a heat-safe bowl. The spatula will help by manually breaking down the rhubarb further. The liquids will separate. Let both the rhubarb ‘solids’ (it will be the texture of a puree) and the liquids cool. (We don’t want to cook the eggs!)
Add the rhubarb solids back into the saucepan.
Add three eggs to a separate bowl and whisk until uniform. Pour the rhubarb liquids into the egg and whisk until well combined.
Pop the saucepan back on the stove on medium heat, and slowly pour in the egg mixture, whisking constantly for about ten minutes. The curd will start to thicken and ‘stick’ to the whisk instead of dripping off like a liquid would.
Pass the mixture back through the sieve to catch any accidentally cooked egg bits. While still warm, stir in the butter until completely melted.
Pour into a jar and let cool. This can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Rhubarb Curd
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Rhubarb Stalks Diced
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Butter
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Tbsp Pitaya Powder (Or food coloring) Optional
Instructions
- To prep the rhubarb stalks wash them well and then ‘top and tail’ each stalk by removing any white root and where the stalk branches into leaves. Then slice vertically into ½ inch strips and finally dice horizontally.
- In a small saucepan on medium- high heat combine rhubarb, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium low to simmer. Cook for about ten minutes until the rhubarb is soft and broken down.
- Using a spatula to help, pass the rhubarb mixture through a sieve over a heat-safe bowl. The spatula will help by manually breaking down the rhubarb further. The liquids will separate. Let both the rhubarb ‘solids’ (it will be the texture of a puree) and the liquids cool. Add the rhubarb solids back into the saucepan.
- Add three eggs to a separate bowl and whisk until uniform. Pour the rhubarb liquids into the egg and whisk until well combined.
- Pop the saucepan back on the stove on medium heat, and slowly pour in the egg mixture, whisking constantly for about ten minutes. The curd will start to thicken and ‘stick’ to the whisk instead of dripping off like a liquid would.
- If you are adding pitaya powder or food coloring, add it now.
- Pass the mixture back through the sieve to catch any accidentally cooked egg bits. While still warm, stir in the butter until completely melted.
- Pour into a jar and let cool. This can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
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