Forced rhubarb

A technique known as forcing produces tender, sweet rhubarb from northern England.

Forcing Rhubarb

A few hours after removing the pot, the rhubarb looks fresh, brightly coloured and pale. It soon darkens in the daylight.

If you’ve ever seen upended terracotta pots in an allotment, chances are that it was forced rhubarb. Here's how it works.

Find out how to force rhubarb in your garden with rhubarb-forcing pots here!

Checking on forced rhubarb in terracotta forcer... Image:0312196 - Stock photo from GAP Gardens, garden & plant photography

We source our produce locally and overseas when it’s at its best. Find out what is in season to get the very best produce for your kitchen.

This technique is well-known across the pond, but may be less familiar to gardeners in the US. Learn what forcing rhubarb means, and how it changes one of our favorite spring crops.

Forced rhubarb – a vegetable deprived of sunlight for extra sweetness – has been eaten in Yorkshire since the 19th Century. Now the culinary treasure is having a renaissance.

Forcing Rhubarb using an old bucket... Image:0163319 - Stock photo from GAP Gardens, garden & plant photography

This vibrantly pink vegetable has a short season, from mid-January to March. Forced rhubarb starts its life outside, then is grown in darkened sheds throughout the winter, resulting in a pale colour and subtle flavor. Often used in desserts as a fruit, creative cooks show rhubarb makes a fabulous addition to curries and chutneys, or as a tangy partner to mackerel, pork, or lamb.

Among the familiar sounds of a Yorkshire spring - birdsong, bees buzzing, and wind whistling over the moors - is a curious popping and creaking. ⁠ ⁠ When maturing in total darkness, forced rhubarb stalks burst out of the ground, growing so quickly (over an inch a day!) that it creates a distinct creaking, popping and squeaking sound. The stalks stretch tall in search of obscured sunlight - leaf buds unfolding emphatically until the rhubarb sheds are filled with a concert of growth and…

The flavour of everyone's favourite boiled sweet in a delicious dessert. Forced rhubarb adds a pop of colour and sweetness to this tart. Check out our rhubarb guide for more handy rhubarb facts

Pair in-season rhubarb with zesty orange and aromatic cardamom to make this oven-roasted compote – it's great dolloped on pancakes and porridge, or served with dessert

Every two years you can force your rhubarb plant to grow a little earlier and produce tender and sweet red stems. They're different in both flavor and texture from summer rhubarb and perfect for spring desserts #lovelygreens #vegetablegarden #gardeningtips

Forcing rhubarb indoors over the winter gives you long, tender, sweet, bright red stalks. This guide explains how you can do it at home.

Make the most of vibrant pink, seasonal forced rhubarb in this take on an old-fashioned American buckle cake. Custard is baked into the sponge for extra indulgence, and an oaty streusel topping contrasts with the tart fruit. Enjoy at teatime, or pour over extra custard for dessert

Forcing pots

New shoots of rhubarb with terracotta rhubarb forcing pots, early March.