Rhubarb

I love rhubarb my nana used to grow a very impressive crop at the end of her garden when we where small and it became my "special" Sunday job to go down the garden pick the rhubarb and mint for the family wash it all and cut into pieces for crumble or pie and deleaf the mint and chop up and soak in a touch of vinegar for the lamb.

Timperly Early is always good. I've had five pink stalks off my one plant in the last couple of weeks - cook it gently with a little lemonade to sweeten it, then add crumble topping. Lovely!

That sounds lovely When, never have thought of cooking it in lemonade. I assume its just an early type and that you don't have to "force" it.

Now you mention it glam, I also used to gather the mint and help make the mint sauce, before the days of mint sauce in jars.

sunflower I still use fresh mint leaves on high days and holidays you can't beat the smell in the kitchen and the difference in the taste with Lamb,looking forward to Easter Sunday yummy.

I have herbs growing in pots on my decking near the door, yes nothing to beat the smell of fresh mint when you chop it for mint sauce, as for rhubarb it seem you have to find the right place for it, I have tried & tried to get it to grow, no luck, I have some in a bucket at the moment, few spindly sticks lol, trying to think of an area of the garden I haven't tried it yet

We've already had lots of rhubarb from the allotment and my favourite is to turn it into rhubarb and ginger jam. Delicious.
Has anyone else had an amazing amount of blossom on their apple trees this year? I have a very young apple tree that's blossomed really heavily, so I'm hopeful for a good apple crop. The strawberries are looking good, but like everything else they're later than usual because of the cold weather.

Oh dear - you are all making me jealous. I grew up in the West Yorkshire 'rhubarb triangle' and Dad grew wonderful crops - I seem to remember soot and an upturned bucket were involved.

I now live in the sub tropics where rhubarb refuses to grow. Once I made 'mock rhubarb crumble', my own invention, from mulberries and passion fruit mixed.

Not the same though.

We've been growing rhubarb for about four years now and its more prolific each year. I remember reading that you shouldnt pick it the first year, but I can't remember what time of year we planted it, and I've no idea what variety it is. We have a really clay soil and the rhubarb serms to be doing fine in that type of soil.

Just had the first crop from a plant planted 2 years ago- bootiful. So it doesn't go to mush, I make a light sugar syrup (by boiling water with sugar in) and then poach the rhubarb pieces. That way they stay whole - delish.

When we were kids, we'd make a cone of newspaper, fill it with sugar and dip a stalk of raw rhubarb in it. Enjoyed it! Nowadays, I can't cope with anything as acidic as rhubarb, more's the pity.

We are fighting off the rhubarb around here............growing like triffids!

Same here Anno With the sugar and the acid in the rhubarb it's a wonder we have any teeth left.

Maybe that's why my dentist is doing so well out of my teeth, Nellie.

Me too!

I actually killed our rhubarb. I moved it (it was swamping everything where it was) and it died. Replaced it with what was supposed to be Champagne rhubarb, but, although very prolific it's quite bland and inclined to go to seed. I've just put in a baby Timperley Early to take over. I'm glad to hear it's a good one. Hopefully it'll grow big by next year so I can get rid of this boring Champagne.

We had our sugar in egg cups and sit on the step.We also had cocoa and sugar