Earlier this week I retweeted the mealsbyrebalance.co.uk February seasonal food guide to help you with your seasonal food shopping!
Immediately I was asked the question ‘what’s forced rhubarb?’ and immediately my eyes lit up like most people’s when they see a pizza or George Clooney.
Forced rhubarb is delicious! And something, if you have rhubarb plants, you can be doing now if you’d like an earlier crop (in about 8 weeks time) and sweeter stalks.
Rhubarb as two very clear categories when it comes to cooking:
- Forced rhubarb is better in savoury dishes as it adds a sweetness. It can also be used in desserts, however;
- Main crop rhubarb is best for this because it’s sharper and can take the sugar!
Now, that’s a very high level view and please use the different types across the board, but if you’re just starting out it’s a good rule of thumb.
What you’ll need
To force rhubarb you’ll need:
- An established rhubarb plant or one that’s had at least 2 main crops
- A large terracotta pot
- Well-rotted manure
How to force rhubarb
- Clear around your rhubarb plant and add the well-rotted manure.
- Cover with the terracotta pot, ensuring no light can get in and leave for 8 weeks.
- After 8 weeks, you should have beautiful pink stems ready to be harvested gently.
Hints and tips!
Forcing rhubarb is simple, however forcing rhubarb two years in a row should be avoided as it puts too much pressure on the plant. To get around this, plant multiple crowns to your can alternate forcing years between them.
The Rebalance Chef 