Poached Rhubarb

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(163)
Comments
Read comments

I begin many of my rhubarb recipes by briefly poaching thick slices in a sugar syrup with the seeds and pod of a vanilla bean. (Don’t be alarmed by the amount of sugar; it’s mostly drained off.) It’s a method I learned from the pastry chef Jacquy Pfeiffer. Once poached, the rhubarb has many uses, both sweet and savory. And the pink vanilla-specked syrup is delicious over ice cream or strawberries, or stirred into yogurt.

Featured in: A Chicken Tagine That Gives Rhubarb the Last Say

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:1½ cups (plus 1⅔ cups syrup)
  • 1cup/200 grams sugar
  • 1vanilla bean, split and scraped
  • 2cups diced rhubarb (½-inch dice)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

210 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 51 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 3 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine 1¼ cups water and the sugar in medium saucepan. Add vanilla seeds and pod. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolves and add rhubarb.

  2. Step 2

    Reduce heat to low and gently simmer rhubarb for 5 minutes, or until it can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife but remains intact. Do not overcook, or else rhubarb will fall apart.

  3. Step 3

    Strain rhubarb over a bowl. Store syrup and poached rhubarb separately.

Ratings

4 out of 5
163 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Adrienne

Rhubarb is becoming hard to find. Would frozen rhubarb work in this recipe?

jesfine

Delighted to discover the leftover syrup is flat out delicious added to a glass of white wine, rum, tequila, iced tea or what have you! I will make this again, just for the syrup.

Rebecca P.

Easy to prepare. Didn't have vanilla bean so I added a small cap full of vanilla extract. DO NOT do that. The vanilla completely overwhelmed the taste of the syrup. The rhubarb itself seemed fine. Next time I will add a tiny amount (or get a vanilla bean). Mine took about 6 min. to soften at high altitude.

Karen M

Some pieces fell apart while others were still hard. I suggest getting stalks that are all about the same size and being very careful to cut them equally.

BK

Way, way too sweet for my taste. I’d prefer it with 1/4 cup of sugar. The vanilla bean was an interesting flavor profile.

Sarah

overcooked in 5 minutes! will be more careful next time

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.