How To Juice Rhubarb?

Have you ever tried to juice rhubarb? If your answer is no, you need to change it immediately and start to enjoy the benefits it brings to your body. It grows from the beginning of April, when we start to slowly forget about winter, and lasts until the end of summer. However, the best time for collecting rhubarb is in the middle of June. So we suggest starting rhubarb juicing at that time.

Let’s say a few words about rhubarb cultivation. The great thing about rhubarb is that you can quickly cultivate it in your garden. All you need is a sunny spot and fertile, moist soil. This superfruit (should rather say vegetable, because it is a vegetable indeed) is frost-proof. The underground part of the plant survives the winter without difficulty, and in the springtime, it releases new leaves. 

But what does rhubarb look like? It has long, thick stalks with leaves on the top of each one. The edible parts of the plant are only red stems. Sometimes the streams are entirely red or are bicolor – red and green. In shape, they are similar to celery stalks. Keep in mind that leaves, which end the stalks, are poisonous parts of the plant because of the high levels of toxic oxalic acid.

Contents:

1. How to juice rhubarb?

2. What does rhubarb juice taste like?

3. How to preserve rhubarb?

4. Rhubarb juice benefits

5. Rhubarb juice recipe

1. How to juice rhubarb?

Before juicing, wash the plant carefully in cold water. Make sure you remove all dirt from the plant. There are pieces of soil that often stay on the stalks. The rhubarb you choose for juicing should be firm, fresh, and without any bruises and scratches. It should also shine a bit. 

1. Trim off the stalk ends. Remove and throw away the toxic leaves.
2. Put the whole stalk one by one in the masticating juicer. You don’t need to cut it.
3. Enjoy your freshly squeezed rhubarb juice.

1.1 How much juice is in one rhubarb stem?

Rhubarb stalk is a very juicy part of the plant. That is why it is considered a perfect product for juicing, the same as celery stalk. If you have wondered how efficient rhubarb is in terms of juicing, we have the answer. Below you can find out how much juice is in one rhubarb stem.

You can get around 2 fl oz of juice (4 tablespoons) from one big rhubarb steam.

In the table below, we provide you with helpful information on how many rhubarb stalks you need to get a required amount of juice.

2. What does rhubarb juice taste like?

If you have never tried rhubarb juice before, the first try can be quite strange because of its sourness. Combined with other vegetable and fruit flavors, rhubarb juice tastes perfectly fine. Freshly squeezed rhubarb juice has a nice, dark pink color.

The taste of rhubarb juice is tart and sweet at the same time. It is also a little bit acidic, that is why it is a very refreshing beverage.

3. How to preserve rhubarb?

Because rhubarb comes only in season for a short period of time, we can enjoy the taste of fresh plants just for a few months of spring and summer. Fortunately, it is quite easy to preserve rhubarb for later usage. It is precious during the wintertime when we don’t have a wide range of fruits and vegetables available on the market.

You can freeze the rhubarb without much effort. All you need to do is to chop it into smaller pieces, around 1 inch each. Then put it into the airtight freezing bag and place it inside the freezer. In that form, rhubarb can last from 6 up to 12 months.

Important! Before juicing the frozen rhubarb, give it some time to thaw to avoid destroying your masticating juicer.

In this article you can learn more about storing different freshly squeezed juices – How long freshly made juice lasts and how to store it properly?

4. Rhubarb juice benefits

Rhubarb is an excellent source of antioxidants. It provides the body with a large number of valuable components. Mainly, it is rich in Vitamin K and C. Minerals, like Calcium, Manganese, and Potassium, are also present in reasonable amounts. You can learn more detailed data about the minerals and vitamins level in 3.5 oz /100 ml of rhubarb juice in the infographic below.

Rhubarb juice has fantastic antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also known for its fungicidal activities. A significant feature of rhubarb juice is that it helps to fight cancer. The rapontigenin, delays the multiplication of cancer cells, especially when it comes to breast and prostate cancer.

Drinking rhubarb juice may support the proper functioning of the circulatory system and strengthen the blood vessels. It also lowers the bad cholesterol level, helps with liver problems and anemia. The low glycemic level makes rhubarb juice suitable even for people who maintain the proper blood sugar level. It is also recommended for women who go through menopause to alleviate its side effect or even delay the whole process.

Unfortunately, drinking rhubarb juice in excessive doses may have the opposite influence on the body than expected. It may lower the calcium level in the body and worsen the condition of teeth and bones. Those affected with urolithiasis should not consume rhubarb juice because it may increase the production of kidney stones. The side effect of overdosing on rhubarb juice is diarrhea.

The daily serving of rhubarb juice should not cross the ⅔ of a cup.

5. Rhubarb juice recipe

Rhubarb juice tastes delicious when combined with other ingredients. When mixed with apples or berries, it gets a nice, balanced flavor. If you like to spice your juice a bit, we encourage you to season your freshly squeezed rhubarb juice with cinnamon or ginger.

Check out our favorite recipes below.

• 9 oz of fresh rhubarb
• 1 beetroot
• 2 oranges
• pinch of cinnamon

Start to juice rhubarb and enjoy its benefits for your body! Feel free to mix it with your favorite fruit and vegetables and experiment with flavors. 

Are you a real juice enthusiast? Do not miss ours other exciting articles on juicing:

Everything about freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

How to make corn juice at home?

Good luck with juicing the butternut squash.

Liked the article? Share it!