Safe to eat rhubarb?

[Snadger]

I have had a good crop of rhubarb earlier in the year and pulled off all the tatty bits to tidy it up.
It has regrown and I now have what looks to be a very healthy looking crop of rhubarb again!

I'm slightly worried about picking it though because i've heard that after July the oxalic acid in the leaves starts travelling back to the roots?

What do you think................I could stil harvest half of it and leave loads to die back but unsure whether to or not?

[rustylady]

Never heard of that one Snadger. I thought the only reason for leaving it alone during the latter part of the year was so that you didn't exhaust the plant.

[Snadger]

Never heard of that one Snadger. I thought the only reason for leaving it alone during the latter part of the year was so that you didn't exhaust the plant.

I'm going to 'pick a stick' this evening..................if it tastes alright, sod the OA!

[WrexTheDragon]

Never heard about the oxalic acid.

I find that after mid June, they get a bit stringy and tough.

[Flummery]

I think it does get more acidic as the season wears on - but it also tastes better! It might just take the enamel off your teeth though!

[shirlthegirl43]

I have a lovely crop on my Glaskin's Perpetual. I am tempted to cut some for a crumble but I have lost the label from the plant which said when you could crop it till

[Flummery]

I usually crop till early August. Seems a shame not to. But I leave it alone later on as the stalks tend to go a bit brownish and weepy later on.

[Sue]

They do seem to vary hugely, and I've lost the label on mine but early in the season when everyone else seemed to have huge clumps of the stuff mine was small and weedy but when we hit July it looked like it ought to do - just when I thought you should be giving it a rest - so I picked it and then back it came and I picked another lot.
Very nice but I was raring for an early season rhubarb crop...but it still tastes fine and it will stay in the freezer so broad as its long.

Sue

[Alison]

I just ease off cutting so that the plant doesn't get tired, never heard of any other reason. If you fancy a pie then have one.

[Snadger]

...................If you fancy a pie then have one.

Who ate all the pies?......It was me!!!!!.

Picked about 10 Kilo of tasty rhubarb today (ate one stick there and then without any sugar...yum!) to make sure it was ok!

Now just got to figure out what to do with it!

[Farmer_Gyles]

i've never heard of the OA thing either - picked a few sticks yesterday - loads more to pull and freeze for crumbles through the winter

[Flummery]

It makes good jellies, chutneys, jams. What's NOT to do with it?

[coreopsis]

I had to tidy up my rhubarb-around early June against the advice(it should be done about November)I dug it up and split some bits as they were crowded and smallish.Now I have more decent size plants than earlier.Not pulling any(no more rhubarb crumble this year)as I want the plants to grow stronger.