There seems to be a power of information out there about growing (and harvesting) rhubarb. Make sure you use a clean, very sharp knife to avoid damaging the "stump" of each stalk, and to avoid spreading, transmitting or creating conditions for diseases to take hold in your rhubarb plants.
You use a knife? I'm sure we used to just pull the stems from the crowns - don't yu lose all the juice if you cut the stem? Edit: I see now that one of your links says: "Harvest by grasping each leafstalk near the base and pulling it slightly to one side. Stalks can also be cut with a knife."
I do use a knife, yes. Hasn't caused all the juice in the stalk to be lost, yet; hasn't even caused a noticeable loss of juice at all, actually.
The biggest disadvantage I can think of when using a knife to harvest rhubarb stalks is the risk of nicking another stalk very close to the one I'm taking at that moment.
Well, I knew that it was harvested in June... it turns out that really is all there is. I was expecting something specific about what it looks like, or something.
To sum up the answers from those sites: "Rhubarb is harvested in late May and throughout June in Ohio."
"Early spring stems offer the most flavor and tenderness. Stems harvested later in the season are often pithy. Stop harvesting as stems get shorter and thinner."
"To be honest, rhubarb is “ripe” all spring and summer. The best time when to harvest rhubarb is when the stalks of the leaves reach at least 10” long."
"In Canada and the United States, the rhubarb season runs from about April to September."
"The rhubarb season (in the United States) runs from April to September."
Turns out I really did know most of what there is to know about harvesting rhubarb.
*smiles* I'm in Ohio, yes. Rhubarb grows very well all over this state.
Last season I harvested some rhubarb stalks to give to the traveling companion of a neighbor's visiting friend. She enjoys rhubarb, he doesn't, so she accepted just enough for her own gustatory pleasure for two or three days (and as they were traveling in a camper or motor home or some such vehicle, their cooking facilities were limited and simple so she simply stewed the stuff with a bit of sugar.) If recall serves, that was in August, but as already noted on various websites, the season runs for five or six months.
Make sure you use a clean, very sharp knife to avoid damaging the "stump" of each stalk, and to avoid spreading, transmitting or creating conditions for diseases to take hold in your rhubarb plants.
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1631.html
http://bonnieplants.com/growing/growing-rhubarb/
Specifically talks about knowing when rhubarb is "ripe:"
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/rhubarb/harvesting-rhubarb.htm (Note: that url looks wrong to me: it probably requires a final "l" without any punctuation, but maybe not.)
http://www.rhubarb-central.com/harvesting-rhubarb.html
From "The Rhubarb Compendium:"
http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/growing
For my search keywords (Google), I used "growing harvesting rhubarb" without quotation marks or other punctuation.
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Edit: I see now that one of your links says:
"Harvest by grasping each leafstalk near the base and pulling it slightly to one side. Stalks can also be cut with a knife."
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The biggest disadvantage I can think of when using a knife to harvest rhubarb stalks is the risk of nicking another stalk very close to the one I'm taking at that moment.
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To sum up the answers from those sites:
"Rhubarb is harvested in late May and throughout June in Ohio."
"Early spring stems offer the most flavor and tenderness. Stems harvested later in the season are often pithy. Stop harvesting as stems get shorter and thinner."
"To be honest, rhubarb is “ripe” all spring and summer. The best time when to harvest rhubarb is when the stalks of the leaves reach at least 10” long."
"In Canada and the United States, the rhubarb season runs from about April to September."
"The rhubarb season (in the United States) runs from April to September."
Turns out I really did know most of what there is to know about harvesting rhubarb.
Thanks!
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Last season I harvested some rhubarb stalks to give to the traveling companion of a neighbor's visiting friend. She enjoys rhubarb, he doesn't, so she accepted just enough for her own gustatory pleasure for two or three days (and as they were traveling in a camper or motor home or some such vehicle, their cooking facilities were limited and simple so she simply stewed the stuff with a bit of sugar.)
If recall serves, that was in August, but as already noted on various websites, the season runs for five or six months.
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