Stalk this way

Rhubarb growers... Janet Oldroyd-Hulme and her husband
Neil at their farm at Rothwell, West Yorkshire

MAXINE GORDON heads over to the ‘Rhubarb Triangle’ for a true Yorkshire delicacy

IT is a scene that has remained unchanged for five generations.

In candlelit sheds, men and women are bent double, picking rhubarb stalks the length of their arms.

But this isn’t any old rhubarb.

This is Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb; the gold standard of the industry; the real McCoy.

The tell-tale sign is its astonishing colour, a soft pink, a shade not often seen in Yorkshire at this time of year.

Then there is the taste. Not the tongue-sticking tartness of the more common outdoor variety. This is a lighter, more tender, and sweeter stalk.

Such is its superiority, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb now has protected status from the EU, in the same way as Champagne, Parma Ham and Jersey Royals. This means only produce grown from within the forcing sheds of the ‘Rhubarb Triangle’ between Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield can call itself Yorkshire Forced.

Forced rhubarb owes its special colour and flavour to two things; location and method of production.

Forcing sheds were set up in the shadow of the Pennines, providing the perfect growing conditions. Rhubarb likes frost, rain and the cold – in perfect abundance in this area of West Yorkshire. Also shoddy – or wool waste – was in ready supply. This was used to fertilise the fields, providing necessary levels of nitrogen, on which the plant thrives.

The method of growing is particular too. Rhubarb roots are cultivated outside for two years, but no crop is taken. Instead, all the plant’s energy is kept in its root. Then after a frost, the root is carefully lifted and laid inside giant sheds. These are kept in the pitch black and given heat and water. Deprived of light and food, the plant is “forced” to produce its stalks in search of sustenance. Under these conditions, the stalks grow rapidly; about one inch a day.

The season for forced rhubarb is short – just a few weeks over winter, depending on the weather. The mild spell at Christmas followed by a late frost caused havoc with producers this year and put production behind. The season will be over by the start of April, although fans can ensure it lasts longer by buying in bulk and freezing. Forced rhubarb can be frozen in both raw and cooked form.

Leading growers Oldroyd & Sons at Rothwell, near Leeds, run popular tours of the forcing sheds.

Janet Oldroyd-Hulme – dubbed the High Priestess of the industry – lead the tour I attended this week.

As we tentatively took our places inside the giant shed, candlelight gently flickered in the area around Janet. She shone a torch around the shed so we could see how enormous it was. It was quite something to see row after row of pink stalks standing to attention and waiting to reach the acquired length before being picked.

I was warned to look and listen. “Sometimes you can see the rhubarb move as it grows… and you can hear it ‘pop’ as it bursts out of its bud,” explained my companion for the day, Elaine Lemm, a self-confessed rhubarb geek who has even written a book about the stuff.

In its heyday Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb was a much sought-after product. Until the 1960s, a train dubbed the ‘Rhubarb Express’ left Wakefield station nightly bound for London with 200 tonnes of freshly picked stalks.

Today, just 11 large-scale growers are left in the region, from a high of 200.

But the vegetable (it is only classed as a fruit in the US), is enjoying a revival, with chefs and foodies returning rhubarb – especially the forced variety – to their menus.

Stephanie Moon, chef at the top-rated Rudding Park Hotel at Harrogate, cooked an assiette of rhubarb for the British TV show The Great British Menu.

“Rhubarb is very much a flavour of today,” Janet tells her audience. “Blueberries and cranberries are popular too as people go for a tart flavour.”

And she says rhubarb can be used in savoury dishes too. “With a bit of imagination, you can use it in a variety of ways.”

Elaine Lemm certainly believes this. Her book, The Great Book of Rhubarb (Great Northern, £7.99) is full of interesting ideas with rhubarb; yes the humble crumble is in there, but so too are recipes for rhubarb with chicken, duck and mackerel.

Over a cuppa and a biccie, Janet gives visitors an informative talk about rhubarb. Besides its culinary uses, the plant is also being used by the medical and cosmetic industry. “Rhubarb is a natural cleanser,” says Janet, who recalls farm workers using the vegetable waste to rub oil and grease off their hands.

Medical researchers are also investigating the use of forced rhubarb in the fight against cancer. They have already found that the rhubarb stalk contains natural polyphenols, which are enhanced when roasted.

Janet, who used to be a medical researcher, said: “Plants produce polyphenols when they go under stress. We need polyphenols because they act like super sponges and pull out pollutants and free radicals. When we eat rhubarb it helps keep pollutants out of our bodies and can help reduce your risk of getting cancer.”

Researchers are also looking at how to use rhubarb in anti-cancer drugs.

Rhubarb’s first use was for medicinal purposes (to treat everything from diarrhoea to venereal disease) so Janet says it should not be so surprising if the medical establishment embraces it again.

She said: “Rhubarb has been a great friend to mankind. Hopefully it has got a massive future.”