Upon return from a trip in October, I could see that it was the end of the season for the Rhubarb Patch. The zucchini and tomato plants had already succumbed to a frost, yet the Rhubarb, though weakened, was still holding on.

So I did a triage session: by gently pinching each stalk, I could tell if it was firm or spongey. The spongey ones I left right there. Then I pulled each of the firm stalks and cut off their leaves and root ends. The leaves were left in the garden, to break down and return the nutrients to the soil.

The firm stalks were taken to the kitchen and cut into 1-inch pieces. Some I used to make a last batch of Rhubarb Puree to put in the pantry. Then I measured out 4 heaping cups of pieces and put them in a zipper bag in the freezer. That’s all you need to do to save rhubarb for later baking! Each bag would be enough for a full-sized rhubarb pie, or smaller amounts can be used for muffins deep into the winter.

In November, many gallons of manure will be put on the Rhubarb Patch, to nourish it for the next growing season. Goodnight, Rhubarb. Have a good sleep.

This is the blog of the Bennington Rhubarb Festival, started in 2013 to benefit the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund.

If you would like to help the Building Fund, please contribute any amount to the G.E.P. Dodge Library Building Fund, Bennington, NH 03442.

The next blog installment will be posted on December 23, 2024. If you click the Follow button, all future posts will be sent straight to your inbox every month.