Rhubarb can be an upset stomach as it contains quite a lot of unhealthy oxalic acid.
With the right preparation you reduce the acidity.
Munich – The green-red vegetable sticks taste great as a compote, but the oxalic acid contained in rhubarb is toxic in excess, especially when raw.
Therefore, you should always cook the vegetables before you eat them.
To ensure that eating rhubarb remains a healthy pleasure, there are a few other things to consider.
Processing rhubarb correctly: Five steps to non-toxic enjoyment
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Rhubarb is high in unhealthy oxalic acid, which cooking reduces it.
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The oxalic acid contained in rhubarb can attack tooth enamel and, if consumed in excess, can lead to heartburn or kidney and bladder stones.
According to the German Society for Nutrition ("DGE"), oxalic acid also significantly reduces the availability of calcium, magnesium and iron, so it makes sense to increase these nutrients when consuming rhubarb.
For healthy people, however, the occasional consumption of rhubarb is harmless to health.
To ensure that enjoying the rhubarb does not have any undesirable consequences, you should take the following steps into account when processing it:
1. Prefer red-stemmed rhubarb varieties, red-fleshed varieties such as "Canada Red" or "Elmsjuwel" are best.
2. Remove the leaves, they contain a lot of oxalic acid.
3. Peel the rhubarb as there is a lot of oxalic acid in the peel.
4. Cook the rhubarb, i.e. boil, bake or steam it.
Drain off the cooking water.
5. Prepare rhubarb with dairy products such as cream or yoghurt: the calcium it contains binds the oxalic acid.
Vegans can combine rhubarb with nuts or millet instead.
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If you grow the vegetables in the garden yourself, you should make sure that you no longer harvest rhubarb after St. John's Day.
Due to the high temperatures in summer, the oxalic acid content of the rhubarb also increases.
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