Rhubarb season is short, but you can enjoy this tart and sweet vegetable all year long by freezing it. Discover all the best secrets on how to freeze rhubarb, how long it lasts, and what to do with it! Frozen rhubarb can be used in rhubarb muffins, pies, jams, cakes, and other recipes just like fresh rhubarb.
We are rhubarb enthusiasts! I look forward to rhubarb season every year! Some of my fondest memories of childhood are plucking a fresh rhubarb stalk, washing it, and then dipping it in a bowl of sugar and eating it raw! Ahh, the good simple life of living on a farm. Check out all of our Rhubarb Recipes!
But rhubarb season goes by way too fast! That’s why I always freeze my rhubarb whenever I can get my hands on some. Freezing rhubarb is a great way to preserve its flavor and nutrients to use in recipes later on. And it lets you enjoy the taste of summer all year long!
🥶 Why You Should Freeze Rhubarb
If you have a rhubarb plant, you will be able to harvest rhubarb all spring and summer. But you may not want to eat rhubarb all the time. If you don’t have a rhubarb plant, you are left at the mercy of finding a supplier or hoping that your grocery store will carry it. This means you may or may not be able to find rhubarb when you want it!
There are many reasons why you should freeze rhubarb. Here are just a few :
- Less Waste. As mentioned if you have your own plant, you could end up with way too much rhubarb in a short amount of time. Freezing is a great way to preserve rhubarb to use it later in the year.
- Extend the shelf life of rhubarb. Rhubarb is a perishable vegetable that has a short shelf life. So you can’t count on it staying fresh in the fridge or cellar. Freezing rhubarb is a great way to extend its shelf life up to 1-3 years!
- To save money. Rhubarb is often in season for a short period of time, which can drive up the price. Freezing rhubarb is a great way to save money by buying it in bulk when it is in season and freezing it for later use.
- To have rhubarb on hand for recipes. There are many delicious recipes that call for rhubarb. And sometimes you just want that taste of summer in the middle of the winter! Now you can make the strawberry rhubarb pie for Thanksgiving dinner! Freezing rhubarb is a great way to have it on hand when you need it for a recipe no matter the season!
- To preserve the flavor of rhubarb. Freezing rhubarb helps to preserve its flavor and nutrients. This means that you can enjoy the fresh taste of rhubarb even when it is not in season.
- Freezing Rhubarb is SO easy, even your kids can do it! No really, include your kids in this! It’s a great way to build memories in the kitchen and teaches them valuable ways to save money on produce and how to store rhubarb. Plus it only takes a few minutes of your time!
🤷🏼♀️ How To Pick Your Rhubarb
- Look for firm stalks, avoiding any which are limp or blemished.
- If the leaves are attached, they should be fresh and crisp.
- Pick stalks with deeper red colors if possible. This will make for the prettiest pies and deepest-colored recipes.
Rhubarb comes in different colors, ranging from green to pink to red. The color of the stalks does not necessarily indicate how sweet they are. However, red and pink rhubarb are often used in pies, rhubarb cakes, and cobblers because it gives the pie a more attractive color.
Rhubarb is most tender and flavorful in spring and early summer but can be used throughout the season. Select firm, crisp stalks when they are 8 to 15 inches long. To harvest, twist off the leaf stalk at the soil line rather than taking a knife and cutting near the roots. Finally, cut off the leaf.
🧊 How To Cut and Freeze Rhubarb
Freezing rhubarb is faster and easier than freezing peaches. You can check out our Video to see exactly how I do it. Here’s all you need to do:
- Wash the rhubarb stalks and trim the ends.
- Remove the leaves, as they are poisonous.
- Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces, just like you would cut celery.
- Spread the rhubarb in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. I prefer to use a silicone cookie liner. This keeps the rhubarb from sticking to the pan and makes removal incredibly easy!
- Freeze the rhubarb for 2-3 hours, or until it is frozen solid.
- Once the rhubarb is frozen, portion it into 2 or 4-cup measurements and put it into freezer bags or containers. For the best results use a Foodsaver. I found this protects the rhubarb from frostbite and makes it last the longest. Place the rhubarb in a vacuum-sealed bag and seal it up.
- Label the bags or containers with the date, contents, and amount.
- Store the rhubarb in the freezer for up to 1 year.
💡 Pro Freezing TIPS:
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Portion Rhubarb before Storing! I always freeze my rhubarb in 2 or 4-cup portions. Most recipes call for either 2 or 4 cups of rhubarb, so this makes it easy to have the right amount of rhubarb ready to go for each recipe. It also prevents open bags of rhubarb from spilling or going bad in the freezer.
Use Silicone Baking Mats. I like to use Silicone baking mats to line my cookie sheets before doing the first initial freezing. This works best to keep the rhubarb from freezing in the pan and makes it incredibly easy to remove.
Other tools that will make the process easier
- Food Processor – sometimes if you have a lot of rhubarb it can take a long time to slice it all up. I can easily process several pounds of rhubarb into perfect slices in just a few minutes. This last time I cut up over 36 cups of rhubarb (enough for 9 pies) in only 25 minutes!
- Food Saver – As I mentioned, if you vacuum seal your frozen rhubarb it will last twice as long. I freeze a lot of food for storage, so I use this often!
- Cookie Sheets – commercial cookie sheets can handle the freezer without flaking off any non-stick coating into your food.
- 4 cup glass measuring batter bowl – I use this for measuring out the sliced rhubarb into perfect recipe portions. It also doubles as a batter bowl, so it saves on kitchen space.
- Silicon Flexible Turner – this is great for lifting the rhubarb off the cookie sheet to be portioned without freezing your hands.
🫙 How Do You Store Frozen Rhubarb?
There are a handful of ways you can store frozen rhubarb.
Glass Food storage containers (and canning jars) – These are great because they are reusable and look nice in the freezer. The downside is that glass is easily shattered when exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had a glass container break when we pull it out of the freezer and place it on our counter. Even without force, it can happen. And once the container breaks, all the contents have to be thrown out because you just can’t risk even the smallest piece of glass still residing in the food. So while many people still use glass containers, I don’t mix glass with the freezer anymore.
Resealable Freezer Bags: These are affordable and you can get them at every grocery store. While they work, they will only keep your food safe for about 8-12 months and are easy to puncture when you go shuffling around in the freezer.
Vacuum Sealing Bags: These save the most space out of all the storage options. They also will allow your frozen rhubarb to last up to 2-3 years! That’s double the time as a regular freezer bag. They protect from freezer burn and they are more durable in the freezer and resist being punctured. The only downside is that they are a little more expensive and you need a vacuum sealer. But in the long run, it is worth the investment. This is my favorite method for freezing rhubarb.
Storing frozen rhubarb in a glass container or resealable freezer bag will last about 1 year. It is still safe to eat after that, but its quality will decline.
🕰️ How Long Is Rhubarb Good In The Freezer?
You can store raw, unblanched rhubarb in the freezer for 8 to 12 months in an airtight container or freezer bag.
It will last for up to 2 to 3 years if vacuum-sealed. You can understand why I prefer to use my Foodsaver when I freeze my rhubarb right?
🎂 How to Use Frozen Rhubarb
Rhubarb is one of the best things to freeze because you can use frozen rhubarb just as you would fresh rhubarb.
Frozen rhubarb works in almost every recipe that calls for fresh rhubarb. Here are some of our favorites:
- Rhubarb Simple Syrup
- Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake
- Chocolate Rhubarb Dump Cake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
- Raspberry Rhubarb Jam
- Rhubarb Coffee Cake
- Rhubarb Muffins
Frozen rhubarb can be cooked without thawing. But if you are going to bake with it, you will need to defrost your rhubarb first! This is because rhubarb shrinks slightly when it thaws, so you will need to adjust the amount of rhubarb you use to account for this.
💦 How to Defrost Rhubarb
There are a few different ways to defrost rhubarb. The best method for you will depend on how much time you have and how you plan to use the rhubarb.
Refrigerator defrosting
This is the most common method for defrosting rhubarb. Simply place the frozen rhubarb in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours, until it is thawed. This method will take longer than other methods, but it is the safest and will help to preserve the flavor of the rhubarb.
Microwave defrosting
This method is faster than refrigerator defrosting, but it can also be more dangerous. To defrost rhubarb in the microwave, place the frozen rhubarb on a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the rhubarb is thawed. Be careful not to overcook the rhubarb, as this can make it mushy.
Cold water defrosting
This method is similar to refrigerator defrosting, but it is faster. To defrost rhubarb in cold water, place the frozen rhubarb in a bowl of cold water and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour, until it is thawed. This method is a good option if you are short on time.
Once the rhubarb is thawed, you can use it in any recipe that calls for fresh rhubarb.
💭 FAQ’s
The poisonous part of rhubarb is the leaves. They contain high levels of oxalic acid, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other health problems. When rhubarb leaves freeze, they release oxalic acid, which is a toxin. This acid can then move down into the stalks of the rhubarb, making the entire stalk poisonous. However, if you cut off the leaves before freezing the rhubarb, the toxin will not be able to move down into the stalks and the rhubarb will be safe to eat. It is important to never eat rhubarb leaves and to harvest rhubarb stalks before they have a chance to freeze overnight.
Yes. When you cut rhubarb into smaller pieces, it freezes faster and makes it easier to use in recipes. When rhubarb is frozen in large pieces, it can be difficult to cut and measure. It can also stick together in large pieces and takes up more freezer space in large pieces.
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How to Freeze Rhubarb
Rhubarb season is short, but you can enjoy this tart and sweet vegetable all year long by freezing it. Keep it fresh for up to 1-3 years!
Ingredients
- 4 large stalks of rhubarb
Instructions
- Wash the rhubarb stalks and trim the ends.
- Remove the leaves, as they are poisonous.
- Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces, just like you would cut celery.
- Spread the rhubarb in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. I prefer to use a silicone cookie liner. This keeps the rhubarb from sticking to the pan and makes removal incredibly easy!
- Freeze the rhubarb for 2-3 hours, or until it is frozen solid.
- Once the rhubarb is frozen, portion it into 2 or 4-cup measurements and put it into freezer bags or containers. For the best results use a Foodsaver. I found this protects the rhubarb from frostbite and makes it last the longest. Place the rhubarb in a food-saver bag and seal it up.
- Label the bags or containers with the date, contents, and amount.
- Store the rhubarb in the freezer for up to 1 year.
Notes
Portion Rhubarb before storing! I always portion my frozen rhubarb into 2 or 4 cups before adding it to a freezer bag. Most recipes call for either 2 or 4 cups of rhubarb. This makes it easy to already have the rhubarb measured and ready to go for each recipe. And it prevents open bags left in the freezer that can spill or go bad early.
Use Silicone Baking Mats. I like to use Silicone baking mats to line my cookie sheets before doing the first initial freezing. This works best to keep the rhubarb from freezing in the pan and makes it incredibly easy to remove.
Storing: Store raw, unblanched rhubarb in the freezer for 8 to 12 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. It will last for up to 2 to 3 years if vacuum-sealed.
How to USE: Frozen rhubarb can be cooked without thawing. But if you are going to bake with it, you will need to defrost your rhubarb first! This is because rhubarb shrinks slightly when it thaws, so you will need to adjust the amount of rhubarb you use to account for this.
Defrost Rhubarb: place the frozen rhubarb in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours, until it is thawed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 3Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although Busy Creating Memories attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Beth
Friday 10th of May 2024
Once the rhubarb is thawed for baking do you measure it again or go off the premeasured amount from when it was fresh? Do you drain the liquid once it’s thawed? Thank you!
Amber Edwards
Tuesday 14th of May 2024
I go off of the pre-measured amount, after thawing, it will change the weight of the rhubarb, so I always go off of the frozen or prefrozen weight. As for draining the rhubarb, if the recipe specifically gives instructions on how to use the rhubarb from a frozen state, I always follow those instructions. Some recipes will say to drain and others will say to keep the liquid. So always let that be the first guide. If the recipe doesn't specifically give those instructions, then I will drain the rhubarb, because more often than note, they have not accounted for the added liquid that thawed rhubarb will add to the recipe.