Getting rid of rhubarb

[Grandma]

Awful, I know, but I have to do it! I've recently found that spinach and rhubarb are two of the biggest triggers for my gout attacks - and I love them both! The perpetual spinach has already gone and, with very limited growing space, it seems daft to continue growing something I can't eat.

The rhubarb has been in its present position for 21 years and I'm told the roots could be the size of dustbins - so digging them out doesn't seem to be an option!

Oh, it's such a shame! I originally grew four different varieties and soon got rid of three and replaced them with the one that was SO much superior! It's called 'Cawoods Delight' - a very old, very late variety - not suitable for forcing - but so well worth waiting for! Lovely long, thick stems, red-coloured throughout and very sweet and tender - oh, dear! I'm going to miss my lovely rhubarb!

Why couldn't my gout be brought on by something I don't like? 

[Grandma]

[gunnerbee]

chop up the roots and sell them on ebay!!

[saddad]

The essential answer to your question Grandma is that you wouldn't eat enough of it to trigger an attack! I agree Cawood is an excellent variety... it is a small place out towards Selby in Yorkshire. Get some one to dig it out and pot up bits for a plant sale...
;D

[aromatic]

 :-\ So sorry to hear that Grandma.... its awful when things you enjoy end up making you feel so ill... I have to be careful with yeast and that covers quite a few foods.... In your case Grandma I imagine its the acidic content in the spinach and rhubarb that irritates the gout!!! You will have to experiment with some other foods so you can find a replacement for your spinach and rhubarb!! Try and sell some of your rhubarb off Grandma like gunnerbee and sadad suggests and then treat yourself to something you would like with the profit!!**!!

                             

[caroline7758]

Cawood's not far from us- never new it was also a rhubarb variety!
You couldalways put it on freecycle, Grandma - less trouble than ebay if you're not bothered about making money.

[Melbourne12]

That's rather a pity.  Spinach, like rhubarb, contains oxalic acid, so that may be the common factor in bringing on the gout.

[cambourne7]

see if there is a local veg box sceme you can swap your rhubarb harvest for other veg you can eat ;)

[delboy]

Spinach has to go, but not necessarily the rhubarb...

Until only a couple of years ago my gout affected both feet and knees - luckily not always at the same time.

Interestingly I can now eat rhubarb, but only as long as I don't pull any after mid June. My rheumatologist chappie told me that the oxalic acid only goes down into the stems after mid June!

Like me I suppose you are on the usual 300mg of allopurinol each day, but it is really only the spinach that causes problems nowadays.

Apart from the port and brandy, cream and gooey French unpasteurised cheese, that is...

[Columbus]

Could you pull / pick it really young and freeze it for future use?  :(

Col