Is it safe to eat rhubarb after the plants have been exposed to freezing temperatures?

Question:

Is it safe to eat rhubarb after the plants have been exposed to freezing temperatures?

Answer:

After freezing temperatures, some gardeners express concerns about the edibility of rhubarb.  Rhubarb is a tough plant.  Temperatures in the upper twenties or low thirties usually cause little or no damage.  A hard freeze (temperatures in the mid-twenties or lower) is usually required to cause serious damage.  Rhubarb damaged by freezing temperatures will have black, shriveled leaves and soft, limp leaf stalks.  It’s safe to harvest rhubarb if the plants show no signs of damage 2 or 3 days after the freeze event.  Damaged rhubarb stalks (blackened foliage and limp stalks) should be pulled and discarded.  New stalks that emerge after the freeze are safe to harvest.   

Learn more about rhubarb in this article: Growing Rhubarb in Iowa