There are several varieties of rhubarb, some are very red and some (like the rhubarb I grow) is green, but still tastes the same. I've never had any that was not intensely sour, though, certainly nothing that tastes like apples!

Annie

I can see how someone could think green rhubarb tastes somewhat like apples. Like a tart green apple cooked in a crisp, with the same spices and topping used for an apple crisp. I suppose the visual, without the expected red coloring that some people are used to with rhubarb, if the rhubarb doesn't cook down fully and has some crunch, it might be a bit of a mind trick. I think some people use a drop or two of red food coloring to make it a more appetizing color. I don't and have also always grown the green kind.

Nope, this recipe did not have cinnamon and nutmeg in it.

Funny you should mention this. I too found lovely, local-grown, red rhubarb in the grocery. Made a cobbler and while OK there was little to no rhubarb taste. Maybe too much rain?????

I made a rhubarb sauce and yep DH said no rhubarb taste. Mine was red and green. Not sure if it's a weather thing but I will get some more and try again. Usually we gobble it up.

Could it just be the first of the season like many other vegetables/fruits that are often bland due to storage or weather conditions? Farmers often need to get some income flowing and take early crops to market not yet in their prime.

Taste it raw. It should be very firm, crunchy, juicy and tart.

I have massive plants at the farm and have been dividing it for years. If I pick 20lbs, maybe a pound will be composted being less than stellar. I can tell by feel when pulled.

I had market asparagus a month ago that was skinny fibrous and bland. Underdeveloped and far from fresh. Had first of the NewJersey crop last night that is excellent.

I wonder if hothouse rhubarb might be more bland than rhubarb grown in the great outdoors. ???

I think I will throw out the rest of it and try another source for rhubarb.

Interesting thought about the rain, sheilajoyce. We had so much rain this spring that people are trading their cars in for boats.

My Rhubarb really took off; I’ve never seen it shoot up so quickly.

One very rainy year, the late summer apples at a local orchard were very flat tasting. The enormous amount of rain earlier on and continuing seemed to dilute the flavor. IIRC, the apples were probably Paula Reds or Early Macs.