 Homely, comforting rhubarb crumble is a great British favourite, but rhubarb itself comes from more exotic plains. It's believed that rhubarb's origins are rooted on the banks of the river Volga in Russia. It arrived in Britain in the late 16th century but it was a long time before rhubarb was introduced to the dinner table.
The practice of 'forcing' rhubarb, or growing it in dark conditions, didn't start until the early 19th century when a Chelsea gardener made a chance discovery by leaving a chimney pot over one of his plants. He found that depriving rhubarb of light made the stems shoot upwards, searching for light, which made for a more succulent-tasting product. This forced rhubarb is infinitely more delicate than the outdoor garden variety. Forcing rhubarbThe roots, or crowns, of outdoor rhubarb are left in the fields for two to three years and are then lifted, by hand, from November through to Christmas and replanted into low, dark forcing sheds where they are kept warm and moist as the shoots form. The forcefulness of the shoots is such that you can hear the buds bursting, practically crying out as they strain upwards.
 The telltale sign of forced rhubarb is its incredible colour: a particularly eye-pleasing vibrant pink
In a matter of a few weeks the rhubarb stalks are ready to be harvested. As with every other stage of this weird and wonderful plant, nothing is, or can be, mechanised. Nimble fingers pick the luscious pink stalks in true Victorian fashion - by candlelight - to protect the younger stems that are still growing. The telltale sign of forced rhubarb is its incredible colour: a particularly eye-pleasing vibrant pink with curled mustard-yellow leaves. The plants grow in the sheds right up to the end of March, when the outdoor variety becomes available. The 'Wakefield Triangle'The right kind of soil, readily available coal from local pits needed to heat the forcing sheds, and good transport links all played a part in concentrating the forced rhubarb industry into a small area of West Yorkshire known as the 'Wakefield Triangle' (with Leeds and Bradford forming the other two 'corners').  In their heyday, the West Riding growers, of whom there were nearly 200, would take tons of rhubarb to be carried on the 'rhubarb express' train to cities in the south. Today there are barely 12 growers left. The industry was dealt a severe blow by imported exotic fruit and rhubarb has become too expensive for many to grow. David Westwood of Thorpe Farm near Wakefield is one of the remaining successful growers. His family has been forcing rhubarb for five generations. David Westwood says:'It's solid graft. You have to do everything by hand and many growers just had enough. But it's in my blood, a labour of love. I grow both types of rhubarb, but I would always choose forced rhubarb. They're entirely different products; the early stuff is a lot sweeter and more luxurious. It really is a gourmet crop.' The effect of warmer winters
Cold temperatures break the rhubarb's dormancy, but recently there have been concerns over the future of Yorkshire forced rhubarb in the face of increasingly mild winters
For rhubarb to force well the roots need an especially cold autumn. Cold temperatures break the rhubarb's dormancy, but recently there have been concerns over the future of Yorkshire forced rhubarb in the face of increasingly mild winters. These concerns were realised in 2007 with a disappointing yield and a shortage of Grade One and Crimson Crown grade (a premium grade bestowed only on the finest stalks and coveted by top chefs). Lindsay Oldroyd of Hopefield Farm near Leeds explains: "The winter of 2006 wasn't cold enough to get the necessary amount of cold units. On top of this, the summer before had been very dry so the roots were very small. We're hoping 2008 will be better; it's looking promising so far."
 The way in which growers determine when their rhubarb is ready to go into the heated forcing sheds is by measuring 'cold units'. Growers typically start taking frost readings from the ground in mid-October. Using a special thermometer, the daily readings are accumulated to give the number of cold units. Each variety requires a different number. Timperley Early needs 130 cold units. In warmer winters, reaching the necessary number of cold units can be but a struggle. But, says Westwood, some people are unduly panicking over this issue. "It's all down to good management - either leave the rhubarb in the ground a bit longer or apply gibberellic acid, a naturally occurring plant hormone, which helps to replace the units. "I'm not worried," he says. "You'll always get mild winters. If it gets worse, then we should be looking to varieties such as Harbinger, whose yields are excellent but don’t require as many cold units." Protected status?On a more positive note, David Westwood and other Yorkshire rhubarb growers have been campaigning for clearer labelling of their rhubarb and an application for protected name status, along the lines of champagne and parma ham, was approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in July 2007. The application is currently awaiting a deicision by the European Commission and the rhubarb growers should hear whether or not they have been successful by the end of 2008. "I'm almost certain we'll get it," Westwood says. It's important that Yorkshire forced rhubarb is distinguished from outdoor rhubarb as well as from imports. It will set us apart." Buying and cookingLook for firm, upright stalks. The leaves, which should not be eaten as they are toxic, will tell you how fresh the rhubarb is. Avoid rhubarb with brown or black leaves.
 Unlike sturdier outdoor-grown stalks, tender forced rhubarb has an elegant sourness that needs only very light cooking - but it does need tempering with sweetness. Douse the stalks in soft brown sugar with some orange zest and bake in a moderate oven - perfect with thick double cream. Or poach in a thick sugar syrup or orange juice and use for jellies, sorbets or fools. You could also serve it as a slightly sweetened compote with mackerel, roast pork, venison or sausages. Rhubarb recipesBelow is a selection of sweet and savoury rhubarb recipes. You can search for more recipes using the BBC Food Recipe finder. Sweet recipes
Savoury recipes
Updated January 2008. |
