What do you with your ... Rhubarb

In the first of a (hopefully) regular series of "What To Do With Your Produce", aimed at ideas for using up a glut of (hopefully) home-grown veggies, fruit etc, I thought that I would repeat the recipes for the cocktail shots that we sampled at this month's meeting, if only to give an airing to our strange "arty" photographs of boozy drinks next to various flowers - I'm particularly impressed with this year's irises ... more seriously, these cocktails seemed to go down well and this blog is a good location to record the recipes for when you lose the paper versions handed out at the meeting.

The ideas put forward for using up rhubarb (apart from binning it, which is my personal preferred solution after being exposed to too much stringy rhubarb in too many school dinners), revolved around making a sweet rhubarb syrup and then using it in a number of ways, including in cocktails.  Remember, of course, that these should only be drunk in moderation!

Rhubarb Syrup

250g (8oz) chopped rhubarb

250g (8oz) sugar

½ litre (1 pint) water

Add all the ingredients to a pan and simmer until the rhubarb is soft.  Mash the rhubarb with a potato masher and then strain (you can use the strained rhubarb on ice cream, if you like).  

Chill the rhubarb syrup and use within 10 days.

The may be used in a number of ways – in fruit desserts or over ice cream, but is particularly good when used as part of a cocktail.

Incidentally, if you prefer a thicker pouring syrup, just simmer it until some of the water has evaporated, and it should thicken up nicely.  Just don't use too thick a syrup for the drinks that follow! 

 

Jilly’s Rhubarb Cocktail

Jilly's Rhubarb and Ginger Cocktail

1 part Rhubarb Syrup (as above)

1 part vodka

½ part lime juice

3 – 4 parts ginger ale (to taste)

Mix the syrup, vodka and lime juice together (or use a shaker, if you want to look professional). 
Top up with cold ginger ale and add ice if required.   

Drink!

Note:  the vodka may be left out for a teetotal version.

Rhubarb and Custard Cocktail

Cheat’s Rhubarb and Custard Cocktail

1 part Rhubarb syrup

1 part Advocaat

Add the syrup to a tall, thin glass.  Slowly pour the advocaat on top – it should float if added with proper care.  Serve as a layered cocktail – when the layers are drunk together and through each other, it will taste just like rhubarb and custard!