Sparkling Rhubarb Drink

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.)

5 thoughts on “Sparkling Rhubarb Drink”

  1. Miriam Pulbrook says:
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    Miriam Pulbrook's avatar

    Hi Sally, I’m in the process of making your recipe – I bottled on 5 days ago and can’t yet see any fuzz developing. Is this usual? Also, I have used empty 1.25L water containers. Am I headed for disaster?!

    Thanks so much!

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    • sallywiseau says:
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      sallywiseau's avatar

      Hi Miriam – sounds like it just needs some more time. I am guessing you have at at room temperature? Give it a few more days – produce and temperature conditions vary, and sometimes it takes a little longer. The only issue you might have when it does develop its fizz is that water bottles (some brands) do not have the strength of PET bottles and so the bottles can explode. I know this because it’s happened to me. No drama though. Just be sure to use it fairly quickly and certainly refrigerate once the fizz has developed. Best wishes, Sally

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  2. Miriam Pulbrook says:
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    Miriam Pulbrook's avatar

    Hi Sally, I had great success with my sparking rhubarb! Just another quick question, what role does the vinegar play in the fermentation process? Thankyou!

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