Rhubarb picking: harvest stalks, not leaves.

01 / Before you go

Check the farm’s details for your exact day.

A directory helps you find a starting point, but field openings can change with weather, crop maturity and the day’s harvest. Read the farm’s own website or recent update before leaving. If its information is unclear, contact the farm to confirm the picking date, open rows, admission or reservation requirements, prices, payment methods and whether visitors should bring containers or use farm-supplied ones.

Check the route, parking and entrance instructions as well as visitor rules for children, pets, food and accessibility. Wear footwear suitable for the field conditions the farm describes. Pick only where staff directs, and do not assume that a crop listed on a profile is available on the day you plan to visit.

• Is visitor harvesting offered, and how should stalks be removed?
• Does the farm remove leaves or should visitors do it at home?
• What quantity and container are appropriate for the visit?

02 / In the field

How to pick rhubarb.

Follow the grower’s directions and select only stalks from plants opened for harvest. Avoid damaging the crown or removing more than the farm permits. Cut or pull only with the method staff demonstrates.

What ready-to-pick looks like

Stalk colour varies by variety and is not a reliable measure of flavour by itself. Ask about the crop’s preferred stalk size and whether the farm has a limit per visitor.

03 / Bring it home

Protect what you picked on the trip back.

Keep stalks cool and remove leaves before storage if the farm has not already done so. Rhubarb leaves should not be eaten. Refrigerate the stalks and use them while crisp, or prepare and freeze them for later.

Make a plan for your harvest

Rhubarb is usually cooked in sauces, pies, crisps and preserves. Use the stalks only and discard the leaves; university extension sources warn that the leaves contain toxic compounds. Follow a tested recipe for preserving.