Apple and rhubarb crumble

1. Rhubarb season – Aust/NZ: late winter to spring (June – Sept), US/UK/northern hemisphere: spring to summer (April – June). Forced rhubarb (UK early variety, Jan – Mar) – more tender, pink rather than red and juicier. Haven’t tried this recipe with it, suspect adjustments required including less sugar and juice thickener. Suggest using Nigella’s forced rhubarb crumble recipe instead.

DO NOT eat leaves, they are toxic (need a fair amount, but still). OK to touch etc just not good for you to eat.

2. Apples – If you use red apples, you might want to reduce sugar slightly as green apples are tarter. Also, be careful not to use apples that soften into mush when cooked!

3. Baking dish – If you don’t have a pan this size, it’s better to use one slightly smaller rather than larger (filling gets spread too thin so you lose juice as more gets absorbed by crumble).

4. This odd-sounding technique has an important purpose: makes the topping into clumpy lumps rather than a sandy mixture that falls into the spaces between the rhubarb pieces. This then absorbs rhubarb juice and can make the filling seem “pasty” (yes, I really did have problems with this!)

5. Bake time – tougher, thicker rhubarb can take up to 45 min to soften. It’s easy to tell – just poke rhubarb with a knife.

Storage: Best served fresh. Stir fair the next day though the filling is drier as the juices are absorbed by the crumble. Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition per serving assuming 5 servings.