Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb

[Paul mabbott]

Good to see that action is being taken to encourage use of British 'fruit' rather than importing exotic (and often tasteless) fruits from all round the world.

___________

Forced indoor rhubarb growers in Yorkshire want protected EU status
for the vegetable, as my colleague Martin Wainwright reported this
week in the Guardian. If successful, Yorkshire indoor rhubarb would
join a prestigious list that includes Parma ham, Normandy Camembert
and Newcastle Brown Ale. But what exactly makes their rhubarb
special? The colour is pink or scarlet and the white flesh sweet and
fragrant. Very different from the stringy, tough stuff that used to
be stewed and served up with dollops of custard when I was a child.

Janet Oldroyd, who is making the application for Protected Designation
of Origin status, says the 12 producers in the Yorkshire Rhubarb
Triangle - between Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield - will face a
struggle to survive without EU recognition. "It will help the
growers. It ensures we've got a future."

At the end of the second world war there were 200 rhubarb growers, but
competition from exotic foreign fruit, a sweeter national tooth and
confusion with the less pleasant outdoor variety badly affected its
indoor cousin. During the forcing process, rhubarb roots are
cultivated outdoors for two years before being moved into special
sheds to grow in the dark. On the Oldroyd farm in Crofton, it is
harvested by candlelight, with each stalk wrapped in plastic to
prevent damage to the precious crop.

Now rhubarb is enjoying a resurgence, but the growers are worried
about competition from inferior Dutch indoor rhubarb.

___________

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[Boddie]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Good to see that action is being taken to encourage use of British 'fruit' rather than importing exotic (and often tasteless) fruits from all round the world.

___________

Forced indoor rhubarb growers in Yorkshire want protected EU status
for the vegetable, as my colleague Martin Wainwright reported this
week in the Guardian. If successful, Yorkshire indoor rhubarb would
join a prestigious list that includes Parma ham, Normandy Camembert
and Newcastle Brown Ale. But what exactly makes their rhubarb
special? The colour is pink or scarlet and the white flesh sweet and
fragrant. Very different from the stringy, tough stuff that used to
be stewed and served up with dollops of custard when I was a child.

Janet Oldroyd, who is making the application for Protected Designation
of Origin status, says the 12 producers in the Yorkshire Rhubarb
Triangle - between Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield - will face a
struggle to survive without EU recognition. "It will help the
growers. It ensures we've got a future."

At the end of the second world war there were 200 rhubarb growers, but
competition from exotic foreign fruit, a sweeter national tooth and
confusion with the less pleasant outdoor variety badly affected its
indoor cousin. During the forcing process, rhubarb roots are
cultivated outdoors for two years before being moved into special
sheds to grow in the dark. On the Oldroyd farm in Crofton, it is
harvested by candlelight, with each stalk wrapped in plastic to
prevent damage to the precious crop.

Now rhubarb is enjoying a resurgence, but the growers are worried
about competition from inferior Dutch indoor rhubarb.

___________

Were you forwarded this email? To subscribe, go to
The Northerner | Guardian Unlimited

Guardian Unlimited (c) Guardian News and Media Limited 2007
Registered in England and Wales No. 908396
Registered office: Number 1 Scott Place, Manchester M3 3GG

Which fruits do you have in mind?

[Susie]

Ever tried a star fruit?


Looks pretty when sliced tho.

[badgerwatcher]

Yep, star fruit's a complete waste of time! But as you say, Susie, so pretty.

[colincurry]

Our rhubarb is coming along fine. We have already had a gift of rhubarb from one friend last week, and it was delicious. I nearly opened a thread under "Weather" as this was a real harbinger of Spring.

A neighbour, whose garden backs onto ours, has a huge clump of rhubarb, and we oftern get food parcels hung on the fence.

We have never had to buy rhubarb - it always seems so expensive in shops - and have no idea how Yorkshire rhubarb differs.

We love it, but our children do not. I suppose it stems from our peasant upbringing and age. We now live in a Cambridgeshire village with a history of agriculture and horticulture. From late Spring onwards until late Autumn, there is always produce, including soft fruit, on sale outside houses. It is much fresher and cheaper than supermarket offerings.

Colin

[at]

my rhubarb is currently exploding in to life, Ive got 3 plants and it produces enough to provides us, the neighbours and anyone else with enought to last long past the end of summer, dont understand why its so expensive in the shops.

[nightshade]

Good for the Indoor Rhubarb growers it is a special taste and worth protecting.
I however prefer the rhubarb that sulks at the top of the garden with its mantle
of manure, it grows free-range, under its huge leaves that surreptitiously tip water into your shoes or boots if you ignore it. Aye a plant wi character

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Boddie

Which fruits do you have in mind?

I was thinking particularly of star fruit but throw in kiwis and guava (always reminds me of cats urine (our cat used to get told of something terrible when the guava was ripening ..... )) but there is a big problem with all the exotic fruit that is flown all over the world. Far better to eat British/European fruit as it comes into season.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

I was thinking particularly of star fruit but throw in kiwis and guava (always reminds me of cats urine (our cat used to get told of something terrible when the guava was ripening ..... )) but there is a big problem with all the exotic fruit that is flown all over the world. Far better to eat British/European fruit as it comes into season.

Where I used to work we had a couple of Kiwi vines climbing up walls. They grew like triffids + produced a good crop of fruit, which ripened by December + tasted as good as any from the supermarkets, though they were smaller.

Pretty hardy down south at least against a wall. Grey Squirrels liked them too; fortunately the Ring-necked Parakeets never discovered them, though both Wood Pigeon + Blackbird had both nested in the vine.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Where I used to work we had a couple of Kiwi vines climbing up walls. They grew like triffids + produced a good crop of fruit, which ripened by December + tasted as good as any from the supermarkets, though they were smaller.

Pretty hardy down south at least against a wall. Grey Squirrels liked them too; fortunately the Ring-necked Parakeets never discovered them, though both Wood Pigeon + Blackbird had both nested in the vine.

Quite so, down south nowadays you can quite easily grow kiwi, passionfruit, figs, of course ... and more, I suspect ...

[Susie]

I grow figs. I got a bumper crop on my little tree last year.

Passion fruit is another one of those foreign fruits I don't think are worth bothering with. Its all tough skin and yucky pips. Bleugh.

[almostnormal]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Quite so, down south nowadays you can quite easily grow kiwi, passionfruit, figs, of course ... and more, I suspect ...

lucky southerners.....

we had rhubarb and the begginings or raspberry plants growing in the garden, spurred i suspect by the mild spell, and then it froze a couple of days ago and the rhubarbs looking a bit ill and the raspberry plants have shrivelled into little dead things. sigh. will have to see if they recover, or no raspberry and rhubarb crumble for me....

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Susie

I grow figs. I got a bumper crop on my little tree last year.
Passion fruit is another one of those foreign fruits I don't think are worth bothering with. Its all tough skin and yucky pips. Bleugh.

You're not supposed to eat the skin! The insides always remind me of frogspawn ... Beautiful plants though ....

[nightshade]

Brown Turkey,fresh off the tree withhoney and cream(or icecream)

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Brown Turkey,fresh off the tree withhoney and cream(or icecream)

Oh, don't! Not at this time of year ....



I suppose you're waiting for an opportunity to do the old conversation about rhubarb - I'll beat you to it:



: Do you put manure on your rhubarb
: Yes
: We prefer custard .....


An oldy but a goldy ... someone had to do it!

[Susie]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

You're not supposed to eat the skin! The insides always remind me of frogspawn ... Beautiful plants though ....

You'll be telling me I should be peeling my bananas next

Brown turkey are the variety of fig I have, Nightshade. They taste better than anything you can get in the shops. I prefer them straight off the tree and warm from the sun though.

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by Susie

You'll be telling me I should be peeling my bananas next

Brown turkey are the variety of fig I have, Nightshade. They taste better than anything you can get in the shops. I prefer them straight off the tree and warm from the sun though.

Susie susie sue

How hard are the figs to grow? how big is the plant / tree? in ground or pot? and how long till you get fruit in years....im keen

[Susie]

You've always been keen.

Easy peasy to grow. It is in a very large pot. I guess it is the size of a large bush, around four to five feet high at a guess.

Last year was the first time I got a decent crop and I guess that was the trees fourth summer since I've had it.

It might have cropped well before but I transplanted it to a bigger pot a couple of years ago and the next year it put on a lot of leaf rather than fruit.

[nightshade]

The Brown Turkey is in a dustbin sized tub outside the patio door,
the tits love to explore it.The fig started off at 3ft and is now touching
the porch roof and last year produced around 30 plump figs

[badgerwatcher]

Why are you growing the figs in tubs? Do you move them?

[nightshade]

Hi BW mine is in a tub because its foliage is attractive and it brings birds close,as does the grapevine.There is a lack of suitable space in the garden because the fig can be very invasive
In Spain We looked at rockfaces that fig roots had split even one apparently growingin a boulder the size of a Transit.There is one in an old walled garden garden that is very old and full of character still producing figs which has its toes in a zinc enclosure

[cherrybee]

My friend says you get more fruit as they grow if the roots are restricted.So pots are best or if you grow them in the garden to line the hole with paving slabs.If you don't restrict the roots they are invasive and you will get less fruit.She has her own allotment and has a lot of fruit she grows herself as well as veg as she makes all her own jams and chutneys and they are delicious.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by cherrybee

My friend says you get more fruit as they grow if the roots are restricted.So pots are best or if you grow them in the garden to line the hole with paving slabs.If you don't restrict the roots they are invasive and you will get less fruit.She has her own allotment and has a lot of fruit she grows herself as well as veg as she makes all her own jams and chutneys and they are delicious.

Yes, all the books I've read about growing figs say 'restrict their roots'.

I expect, that, like a lot of plants, if they 'think' they may not be going to survive, they produce lots of fruit to ensure the next generation.

thunder