Last week I saw some beautiful, ruby-red-coloured local rhubarb for sale at a grocery store and I just had to have some. Once home my big decision was what to do with it.
I have lost track of how many pies, tarts, muffins, crumbles and other baked goods I’ve made with it over years. I’ve also used rhubarb in compotes to spoon onto yogurt or cake, and in a sweet and sour sauce for grilled salmon, pork or chicken.
Once through the inventory of recipes I’ve used it in, I realized I’ve never used rhubarb in a drink. That soon changed times three.
A friend of mine recently served rhubarb cordial topped up with sparkling wine as a cocktail. It looked stunning in the glass, sparkled with flavour and with rhubarb starting to sprout everywhere, was perfect for spring.
Inspired, I decided to make this drink myself. The cordial part of it starts by simmering sliced rhubarb with a touch of water until it’s very tender. You don’t need to add much water because cooked rhubarb becomes very fluid. When cooked, you strain the mushy rhubarb mixture through cheesecloth, letting the juice from it slowly drip into a vessel below, which can take a few hours.
When that process is done, you sweeten the tart juice with icing sugar. In some recipes for rhubarb cordial, lemon juice is also added for flavour, but I used lime juice.
In large batch recipes for rhubarb cordial, after making it, you can pour and seal it in sterilized bottles. However, I choose to make a smaller amount that you can keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. But it likely won’t last that long once you start making cocktails with it.
The second drink I made was rhubarb iced tea. It was made by slowly simmering slices of rhubarb in water 50 minutes. Teas bags were then steeped in that rhubarb-tasting liquid, before it was strained, sweetened and cooled. Served over ice, this twist on iced tea proved to be refreshing and very eye appealing in the glass.
My last rhubarb drink, a cool and creamy looking smoothie, did not require any cooking at all. It was made by puréeing slices of raw rhubarb in a blender with raspberries, vanilla-flavoured yogurt, honey, pomegranate juice and fresh ginger. I had this smoothie for breakfast and it kept me up and running until lunchtime.
When making any of the above rhubarb drinks, be sure to remove and discard any leaves attached to the stalks. Rhubarb leaves contain poisonous substances, including oxalic acid, and should never be consumed.
Rhubarb, Raspberry and Pomegranate Smoothies
This nutritious, quick-to-whirl-up smoothie blends slices of raw rhubarb with a flavourful mix of complimentary ingredients.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: None
Makes: 2 smoothies, about 1 cup each
1 cup sliced fresh rhubarb (about 1 medium stalk, trimmed and washed)
3/4 cup no-fat Greek-style vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 mint sprigs, for garnish (optional)
Place all ingredients, except mint, in a blender. Pulse until very smooth. Taste and add additional honey, if needed. Divide smoothie between two glasses. Garnish with mint sprig, if desired, and serve.
Rhubarb Iced Tea
Serve this elegant iced tea when the weather turns warm and you can sip and enjoy it on the patio.
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Makes: about 8 cups
3/4 lb. rhubarb, trimmed, washed and sliced (about 8 medium stalks)
10 cups water
3 orange pekoe tea bags
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar, or to taste
• lemon wedges and mint sprigs for garnish
Place rhubarb and water in non-reactive (not aluminum) and not overly wide pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat until the water gently simmers (tiny bubbles should just break on the surface). Simmer the rhubarb, uncovered, 50 minutes. Add tea bags, remove pot from the heat, and let steep five minutes.
Set a large, fine sieve over a second pot. Pour the rhubarb mixture into the sieve and strain the liquid into the second pot. Discard or compost the strained rhubarb mixture.
Add the sugar to the hot rhubarb tea and whisk until dissolved. Taste and add more sugar if needed.
Cool the rhubarb tea to room temperature. Pour it into a large glass serving pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pour into ice filled glasses and garnish with lemon wedges and mint.
Rhubarb Lime
Cordial Cocktails
Serve this pretty, rose-hued cocktail for brunch or before a festive spring
dinner.
Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus cooling and chilling time
Cooking time: About 20 minutes
Makes: About four cups of cordial, enough for about eight cocktails
3 lbs. rhubarb, trimmed, washed and sliced
3/4 cup water
* icing sugar
* lime juice
* sparkling wine or water
* lime slices for garnish
Place the rhubarb and water in a non-reactive (non-aluminum) pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the rhubarb is very soft and falling apart, about 20 minutes.
Set a large, fine sieve over a deep bowl. Line the sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth (see note). Spoon the rhubarb mixture into the sieve. Let the rhubarb mixture slowly drain into the bowl; this can take four or more hours. Don’t rush things and try to push and squeeze the juice through or your cordial will be very cloudy.
Once strained, measure the rhubarb juice and then pour into another non-reactive (non-aluminum) pot. Discard or compost the strained rhubarb mixture. For every one cup of juice you have, add one Tbsp of lime juice and three-quarters cup of icing sugar. Bring the mixture to just below the boiling point and heat and stir one minute, or until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Cool the cordial to room temperature, and then transfer to tight-sealing bottle or jar. Chill the cordial at least two hours in the refrigerator before using. Cordial will keep about a week in the refrigerator. To serve, pour about half cup of cordial into a fancy glass, top up with sparkling wine or water, garnish each drink with a lime slice, and enjoy.
Note: Cheesecloth is sold at many supermarkets and hardware stores with a kitchenware section.
Eric Akis is the author of the hardcover book Everyone Can Cook Everything. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.