I’ve been very lucky recently, as I’ve had a couple of friends provide me with some home-grown rhubarb. I love rhubarb and my go-to recipe is always a crumble. I mean, it’s a no-brainer, who doesn’t love a crumble with gallons of custard.
But this time I wanted to try something different. We cooked some on the BBQ which was delicious but needed a little bit more sugar as it was a tad tart! Is that the right word – tart?
And I’ve roasted some in the oven, sprinkled with sugar, which was delicious.
And then I decided to try to make rhubarb cordial. I’ve made elderflower cordial before and that is a little bit more of a faff, but rhubarb cordial is super easy to make. And this is a really tasty and refreshing summer drink. And you can always add a cheeky splash of gin! To make this easy rhubarb recipe, you will need:
Ingredients:
· 450g rhubarb chopped into 1inch pieces
· 300ml water
· 300g golden caster sugar
· Zest & juice one orange
· Zest & juice one lemon
· 2 tsp ginger
Method:
1. Put the sugar in a large saucepan with 300ml of water. Bring to a simmer, then add the zest and juice of both the orange and the lemon, together with the chopped rhubarb and the ginger.
2. Cook the mixture over a medium heat until the rhubarb is falling apart.
3. Pour the mixture through a sieve lined with muslin (I used a clean, open-weaved t-towel) into a clean heatproof jug. Let the juice drip through.
4. Using a funnel, transfer into sterilised bottles and keep in the fridge for up to one month.
5. Serve with sparkling water for a refreshing drink this summer.
How to sterilise glass bottles:
· Pre-heat your oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1
· Wash the bottles in hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Do not dry them.
· Put an oven tray on a shelf in the oven, and carefully place your glass bottles onto the tray. This is easier than trying to balance the bottles on the tray.
· Leave them to dry in the oven for about 15 minutes.
· Carefully remove the bottles from the oven and leave them to cool before pouring your cordial into them. Seal and leave the bottles to cool slightly before storing them in the fridge.
Tip:
You could create a handmade label with pretty ribbon or string to tie around the bottles and take with you to a BBQ, or give as a gift to someone who has a summer birthday.