Rhubarb Relaxer: The Perfect Rhubarb Cocktail
Rhubarb. Ah, the Spring favorite. The pies, the strudel, the cake, the crumble, the crisp, the cupcakes, the list goes on! All delicious, all made with love, and all require baking. You know what I hear? That I have this plant that I can eat, presumably only as a baked good, which means that I have to run my oven when the sun is shining, my house is warm and everyone is sweating just from existing. Yeah, I know. It’s dramatic. But you know I’m right.
I’m blessed to have a rhubarb plant and I’m so excited to make things with it, but I need something refreshing and light this time of year. I was perusing Gram’s cookbook last week and stumbled across a recipe for rhubarb syrup. Sounds delightful, but what would I use it for?
Sure, I could top the ice-cream that never exists in our house with it. I could even make a cobbler or dump it on pancakes, which in reality, are just another version of bread. OR I could make something sparkling and delicious that will dazzle and delight the taste buds of every conversation deprived, human interaction starved parent at every BBQ this side of the universe! And I’ve got news for you, you can easily make it kid-friendly/non-alcoholic, too!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Rhubarb, about 4 cups chopped
One and a half cups of water
A half cup of pineapple juice
One cup of sugar
One bottle of dry rosé or lemon-lime soda pop for a non-alcoholic version
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Harvest your rhubarb (learn more about harvesting rhubarb here). Insert it into your handy dandy Roo Apron’s pouch and haul it to the house for cleaning.
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Let’s get back to it.
Cut the rhubarb into half inch pieces.
Cut the fresh ginger into one inch long, half inch wide slices. You’ll want about three of these. You can certainly use more if you’re really into ginger, but I was afraid it would mask the flavor of the rhubarb.
Put the rhubarb and the ginger into a pot with one and a half cups water.
Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The rhubarb will look green and slimy as it cooks. Don’t worry, it’ll make pretty pink juice!
Strain the rhubarb and ginger over a bowl so that the juice is separated. Discard the solids, composting it will do!
Add the half cup of pineapple juice and a cup of sugar to the liquid and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until chilled.
In a large pitcher, add a large amount of ice. Pour the cooled rhubarb and ginger simple syrup over the ice. Top it off with the rosé or lemon-lime soda pop and stir.
Serve over more ice. I used a mason jar and look at how cute it is!
Please be aware that the rhubarb ginger syrup is very sweet. If you use a sweet rosé you may find that it needs to be cut with seltzer, club soda, or soda pop. I highly recommend using a dry rosé or champagne. Play around with it until it suits your taste. It’ll be delightful no matter what!
I picture it being served in mason jars on pretty decorative drink trays surrounded by fun garnish options, like lemon slices, lime slices, frozen cherries, or a sprig of rosemary. It’s easy to make, it’s refreshing, and it’s a fun spin on how to use rhubarb (and avoid running the oven).