Ever since rhubarb made its way onto the menu, people have been talking about its toxin content. Is raw rhubarb poisonous when it's in bloom or from June? Find out here how poisonous rhubarb actually is.

Oxalic acid - the harmless culprit

In addition to many valuable vitamins and nutrients, rhubarb contains oxalic acid. This substance impedes the absorption of iron in the body, which is a concern for small children and people with kidney disease. In addition, oxalic acid attacks the tooth enamel and binds calcium in the organism.

What appears dramatic at first glance is of course only true in high doses and under unusual conditions.

  • 100 grams of fresh rhubarb contain 180 to a maximum of 765 milligrams of oxalic acid
  • Scientists assume that the dose of oxalic acid is only toxic from 5 grams, i.e. 5000 milligrams

If rhubarb is cooked, the proportion of oxalic acid falls again compared to fresh produce. Roughly speaking, a person weighing 60 kilograms would have to consume a whopping 36 kilograms of fresh rhubarb to harm himself.

First harvest with less oxalic acid

The oxalic acid content in rhubarb only slowly builds up during the growing season. The shell is particularly affected by this. As a result, the April harvest has minimal levels of the toxic substance.

It is advisable to carefully peel the stalks at the end of the rhubarb season. Traditionally, there is no harvest after St. John's Day, June 24th. This protects the vitality of the plant and prevents the consumption of strained stems.

No influence of the flower on the toxin content

The rumor persists among hobby gardeners that rhubarb should not be eaten after flowering. The fact is that the beautiful flower and the oxalic acid it contains have nothing to do with each other.

  • removing the rhubarb flower improves the crop yield
  • the mother plant puts its energy into developing more stems

As a result, nobody has to go without enjoying fresh rhubarb after flowering. It would really be a pity to further limit the already short season due to incorrect information.

tips and tricks

Enjoy rhubarb with dairy products, like a light custard. The calcium in the milk binds the already very small amount of oxalic acid as insoluble calcium oxalate and excretes it completely.

GTH

Category:

Vegetable garden