We are passionate about baking with seasonal ingredients and each year we welcome the arrival of an abundance of fresh rhubarb.
Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks of species and hybrids of Rheum in the family Polygonaceae. Rhubarb is a herbaceous perennial which has grown in Europe since before the 18th century, when it was used for medicinal purposes, before a hybrid of two species meant that it began to be grown as vegetable crops in England and Scandinavia. Interestingly, rhubarb is a vegetable despite it most often being put to the same culinary uses as fruits. Rhubarb is also delicious!
For bakeries commercially grown rhubarb can be sourced but we also enjoy growing it in our home vegetable patch. We enjoyed reading the RHA's advice on growing rhubarb at home, which includes this top tip for the end of the growing season:
'When the top growth dies back in autumn, remove the dead leaves to expose the crown to frost – this will help to break dormancy and ensure a good crop of stalks the following year.'
We love the balance of tart rhubarb within a sweat bake, a clear favourite of ours is rhubarb crumble cake. Do your customers have a favourite? Does your bakery have a unique rhubarb bake?
If you are looking to try a rhubarb recipe take a look at James Martin's Rhubarb Crumble Cake with Ginger Cream or why not try Nigel Slater's Banana pancakes with rhubarb.
We are enjoying seeing great bakes on social media which showcase rhubarb, on Instagram visit @floatingkitchen to discover delicious Cherry-Rhubarb Pie Bars or visit @barbarafrenchvegan to find her amazing Vegan Rhubarb & Almond Cake.
We would love to know which recipes your customers enjoy which showcases seasonal produce? Share you posts with us using #bybakerysolutions
Evenly mixing your cake batter is vital to a perfect rhubarb crumble bake, if you are ready to review your baking equipment please take a look at our extensive collection of mixers here or contact a member of our team on info@bakerysolutions.com or by calling 0800 083 5639.
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