Rhubarb. How I love thee when thou art in season. And these days I can’t go anywhere without seeing it. I had a hankering for some rhubarb crumble making, but due to my feeling rather ill this week, and studying taking up my time I didn’t get round to it. I used my precious hours off yesterday for ice cream making instead (brown bread and sea salt from the wonderful Murphys. I fear I went a bit heavy on the maldon salt, oopsys). But tonight I felt like I needed something nice, light and refreshing to drink. I made 2 drinks – one being this rhubarb lemonade, which Corgan is looking pretty hopeful about.. (Excuse the photos, reduced to phone photos due to my camera being burgled).
This was surprisingly simple to make. I have to confess I estimated this going in, but I have a fair idea of the amounts!
What you need:
- 4 sticks of rhubarb chopped roughly. Approx 400-500 grams I believe!
- About a 3/4 cup of sugar.
- Juice of 1.5 lemons
- Zest from 3/4 of one lemon
- about a cup or so of water. Just enough to cover your rhubarb in a large saucepan
- This makes your rhubarby lemony syrup. Then you can add water or sparkling water to dilute to make a beautiful pink rhubarb lemonade.
- Deadly complicated. Shove the whole lot in a pan, add the water as above. See?
- Bring to the boil and simmer for about 8-10 mins until all the rhubarb has broken down. Give a taste, I like my lemonade zingy and tart, you might want to add some more sugar and give it another minute or two to dissolve.
- Strain through some muslin and a sieve into a container for keeping in. I used a jar I had sterilised (details in jam post here!)
- The rhubarby mush is perfect for stirring into yoghurt or your porridge in the morning!
- Let cool. This is a concentrated syrup. I use about 1/3 of a glass of this syrup poured over lots and lots of ice and top it up with water or sparkling water if you want a little fizz in your life! Taste to test and add more syrup or water as you need!
Cake in the country 
What a great way to use up some rhubarb! I have loads in the garden and I am always searching for new recipe ideas! Thanks.
Ours got uprooted last year redoing a wall, have to replant some, but I just love rhubarb. I was thinking of freezing these as ice pops too, I think it’d be lovely. Maybe with a wee bit more sugar!
amazing! I have to try this, we have a bunch of rhubarb out the back that I need to use up.
I just really enjoyed it, was quite chuffed with way it turned out. It was so tangy and refreshing. Great day for it here too 🙂
This looks wonderful. I have loads of rhubarb from my Mum’s garden so I’m going to make some of this today 🙂
Fantastic, let me know what you think. Might need more sugar depending on your own taste and your rhubarb!
I just so happen to have all these ingredients on hand – guess what I’ll be making later today? I reckon this will be perfect for a sunny bank holiday.
I agree Kristin. I think I’m going to send the troops out to find me some more rhubarb, I swear I’m craving it already. Such a glorious day too. Woke up to see 2 pheasants running around the field today, it was so rustic and lovely. Some homemade rhubarb lemonade just goes with the whole picture perfectly! Plus it’s so quick I can make it and not feel guilty for cooking (should be studying!).
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I must try this, I love pink lemonade and I love rhubarb but never thought of this… sounds lovely
Wonder how it tastes with vodka? 😉
Dee – it tastes great with vodka! 1 part vodka, 1 part rhubarb syrup, 2 parts tonic water and as much ice as you like. We keep vodka in the freezer in this house so don’t bother with ice myself. Maybe a quick squeeze of lemon/lime just to finish it off…
Thanks Karen 🙂
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I googled “I need to use up rhubarb” and your delightful post was on the first page of results. I also needed to use up a lemon (having just made a strawberry rhubarb pie and lemon ginger squares) so this recipe was *perfect*. I have the syrup simmering on the stove and can’t wait to test this out with some fizzy water.
Hi Rachel,
So glad to hear that. Let me know how it came out 🙂
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