The Best Rhubarb Grows in the Dark

Tomlinson’s farm has been in his family for more than 140 years, passed down from his great-grandfather, Robert; to his grandfather, Bernard; to his father, David; to him. (“I remember going into the sheds when I was 6 or 7 years old,” Tomlinson said, “probably getting in the way, really.”) Tomlinson largely adheres to the same growing methods that decades of Yorkshire farmers have passed down.

Forced rhubarb begins with rhubarb roots grown outdoors for two years. In their second autumn, the plants go dormant, and they reawaken in early December. That’s when it’s time to transport the roots, some of which can weigh more than 100 pounds, indoors. The magic unfolds in “forcing sheds,” warm, cave-like spaces where rows of plants use their stored-up energy to grow in total darkness. The only light forced rhubarb sees is the soft glow of candles, lit to help growers see at harvest time.

In the sheds, the darkness and warmth “trick” the rhubarb, simulating springtime. “It grows because it’s looking for the light,” Tomlinson explained. The darkness restricts photosynthesis, yielding sweeter, more tender, and brilliantly hued plants. And forced rhubarb can grow at a fairy-tale-like rate—the plants typically grow from the ground to 2 feet tall after just four weeks in the shed. Some even say the rhubarb grows so fast that you can hear the plants “sing,” creaking and popping in the darkened sheds.

But Tomlinson is more than a little dubious about the sounds. “Well, people say that just because it grows really quickly,” he said. However, his answer to my next question—about the best way to consume forced rhubarb—was much more decisive.

“I like it in gin, myself,” he said with a laugh.