seasons
food & drink
eat the
Keeping you in the know as to what is coming into season each month is NEIL MORTIMER from Lovejoys Wholesale...
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very chef looks forward to February for a key ingredient - forced rhubarb! It requires sub-zero temperatures to trigger the roots to start growing again, but milder winters mean the season is starting later by a couple of weeks. The season for Yorkshire forced rhubarb runs roughly from midJanuary to March. Forced rhubarb begins life with 2-3 years in open fields. This is so the plant can build up its root system and stores of energy, it relies upon this energy entirely when it gets moved into the forcing sheds. It is then the growers work their magic to get this wonderful crop to market. It is especially prized by our chefs whilst there are few new British ingredients to grab our attention at this time of year. We still have plenty of root vegetables and winter greens available from the local area including purple sprouting broccoli - subject to any hard frosts which will temporarily stop harvesting. I hope you have had time to start planning what you are going to grow this year if you are lucky enough to have an allotment or a patch in your garden. Even a window box of a gro bag can give you some joy.
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If the soil allows you can sow early varieties of carrots and parsnips. Remember, potatoes are one of the easiest to grow and children love to harvest them, it is like finding GOLD! You can buy very cheap gro bags especially for potatoes.
“We still have plenty of root vegetables and winter greens available from the local area” As always if you would like any growing tips or hints please do email me, I am more than happy to give you my advice. And you can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram if you want to keep up to date with seasonal fruit and vegetables. Neil neil@lovejoyswholesale.com @lovejoysuk @lovejoysuk • lovejoyswholesale.com
