Here is the recipe for that old fashioned cooling summer drink, ideal when you have a glut of rhubarb from the garden. (Recipe is from my book “A Year in a Bottle” or “Complete Preserves”.

Sparkling Rhubarb

Makes 4.5 litres, approximately

875g rhubarb, diced

875g sugar

1 lemon, chopped

4.5 litres water

 200ml white or cider vinegar

Place all in a food-safe bucket, mix well, then place a tea towel over the top of the bucket and leave to stand at room temperature for 48 hours.

Strain through a fine nylon kitchen sieve and pour into PET bottles and seal immediately.  (Empty soft drink bottles are ideal, or you can buy new ones from home brewing suppliers.)

The sparkling rhubarb will be ready in 2 weeks.  Open carefully – it’s best to refrigerate it before opening.

NOTES: 

• It is highly advisable to refrigerate once the fizz has developed.  It helps to stop the fermentation reaching the point where bottles might explode.
• Be sure to use bottles that can take the pressure – for instance re-using those commercial water bottles will have disastrous results in this respect.  (I did this once, and they exploded.)