Rhubarb Juice
Rhubarb is one of my favorite plants in the garden. It pops up in early spring and lasts through October, sporting a perfect pink hue all summer long.
Usually, I use my rhubarb to make impressive, ingredient-heavy and time-consuming recipes like pie. But this year, I wanted to create a simpler, more chill rhubarb recipe. I loved the idea of incorporating rhubarb's sweet-tart nature into a drink, similar to lemonade, so I started searching for recipes.
Most of the recipes that I found combined rhubarb with fresh lemon juice or sparkling water. However, one recipe, by Carolyn Cope of Serious Eats, called for only rhubarb and water. I was intrigued, so I gave it a try. Carolyn's recipe was a little too tart for me, so I added a bit of sugar to my version fo the recipe. Feel free to add more sugar, lemon juice, mint, carbonated water, alcohol or otherwise as you see fit.
Let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Time: 30 minutes, plus several hours cooling time
Makes: 2 large or 6 small glasses of juice
Ingredients
4 cups water
1 pound (3 cups, 3 large stalks) rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more to taste
Mint leaves for garnish
Steps
In a large pot over high heat, stir together the water and chopped rhubarb. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to low, put a lid on the pot and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes.
Set up a medium bowl with a strainer and carefully strain the mixture. Gently push on the rhubarb pieces with the back of a spoon to remove as much liquid as you can. Compost the rhubarb scraps.
While the juice is still warm, stir in the sugar until it had dissolved. Then, let the juice cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Pour the juice into a sealable container, leaving behind any bits that settled at the bottom of the bowl.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least several hours, then serve over ice. You can drink it straight or combine it with alcohol, lemon juice or carbonated water, adding more sugar to taste.
Sustainability Tips
Rhubarb: Your best option here is to grow the rhubarb yourself, but any local rhubarb is a great option. Be sure to make this recipe during the early summer, when rhubarb is in season. This way, your rhubarb won't have to travel far to get to you.