In all the time I’ve been allotmenting, I’ve never managed to get around to forcing Rhubarb.  I’ve always had at least three crowns so that I could, but it’s one of those things that’s time sensitive and I’m not.

Until this year.  My plot neighbour showed me his (as you do) and it reminded me that although it was last late it wasn’t too late.  So these Stems have been residing under an upturned plastic dustbin for the past three weeks, weighed down with a VERY heavy breeze block.

I was delighted to lift the bin this weekend to discover several deep red stems ready to be pulled – so I did.

I’ve never seen a rhubarb stem this red in real life

The variety is Fulton’s strawberry surprise.  It gives good pink stems when Left the grow but this is something else.

They were soon chopped, mixed with soft brown sugar, ginger and orange zest and baked in the oven at gas mark 4.  I added about a dessert spoon of allotment honey and left it to cool.  Rhubarb compost with my breakfast yoghurt and granola.

Yum