Warming the pans while your page comes together
Seasonal & Local · 4 min read
July 8, 2026
Ask any Icelandic home gardener what grows without fuss, and rhubarb tops the list. It survives cold springs, needs almost no care once established, and comes back bigger every year. That reliability has made it a fixture of Icelandic gardens for generations — and a genuine marker of early summer, alongside the first outdoor lettuce and radishes.
Rhubarb stalks are typically ready to harvest from late May through July, with a second, lighter round sometimes possible into August if the plant is healthy and well-watered. The stalks are best picked while still fairly slender — thick, woody stalks that have been left too long lose some tenderness and gain a stringier texture.
Pull the stalk gently from the base with a slight twist rather than cutting it, which encourages the plant to keep producing. Always remove and discard the leaves — they contain oxalic acid in concentrations that make them unsafe to eat, even though the stalks themselves are perfectly fine.
Rhubarb is intensely tart on its own, which is exactly why it pairs so well with sugar, cream, and other sweet or rich flavors. That sharpness cuts through richness, which is why rhubarb crumble, rhubarb cake, and rhubarb jam remain so popular. It also freezes extremely well once chopped, so a big harvest doesn't have to be used all at once.
If a harvest outpaces what can be eaten fresh, chop the stalks into short pieces and freeze them flat on a tray before transferring to a bag. This keeps the pieces from clumping together, so it's easy to pull out just what's needed for a single recipe later in the year.
Many Icelandic gardens still have a rhubarb patch that's decades old, often started from a division passed along by a parent or grandparent. If you're starting your own, a small division planted in spring will establish within a year or two and can then be harvested lightly every summer without much upkeep beyond a yearly feed of compost.
Rhubarb season is short enough that it's easy to miss if it isn't planned for. Adding a rhubarb dessert or breakfast topping to the for a week or two in June is an easy way to make sure the harvest actually gets used rather than sitting untouched in the garden. A handful of rhubarb-based dishes also live in Matinn's for when inspiration runs short.
No. Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid at levels that make them unsafe to eat. Only the stalks should be used in cooking — always trim and discard the leaves before storing or cooking rhubarb.
Usually not. Icelandic garden rhubarb is generally tender enough that peeling isn't necessary — just trim the ends and rinse well. Very thick, older stalks can sometimes benefit from having the outer stringy layer pulled away.
Yes, and it freezes very well. Chop it into pieces, freeze in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to a bag once solid. Frozen rhubarb works well in jams, crumbles, and compotes without needing to thaw first.
Ginger, orange zest, vanilla, and cinnamon all complement rhubarb's tartness nicely, and it also works in savory contexts — a rhubarb sauce or chutney is a good match for roasted pork or lamb.