Some people are very scared of rhubarb. I had a customer who politely declined to sample our rhubarb agua fresca because she said rhubarb was poisonous. Luckily only the leaves are toxic, and you would have to eat 30kg in one sitting to get sick. At Clover we treasure rhubarb. It’s the first fruit of the season. It dovetails with strawberry season. So in this part of the world you see strawberry rhubarb pie.
We’re developing a rhubarb syrup. I thought we’d share the recipe here and invite you to try it at home and give us your feedback. Serve with carbonated water and ice. Or do what Ayr does and make a cocktail with rhubarb and gin. The juniper in gin opens up all kinds of tropical notes in rhubarb.
You’re getting restaurant quantities here. We recommend scaling it down. Unless you’re having a ton of people over for rhubarb cocktails, which is not a bad thing. Recipe below.
RHUBARB SYRUP
INGREDIENTS
4 quarts rhubarb stalks, washed and cut into one-inch pieces
3/4 quarts water
1 1/2 quarts sugar
METHOD
1. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil.
2. In a large bowl, pour boiling water over rhubarb and steep for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Take 4 or 5 rhubarb chunks and add to blender along with steeping liquid. Blend on high for 30 seconds.
4. Strain rhubarb mixture through a double-mesh strainer. Return liquid to blender. Discard rhubarb pulp.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all rhubarb is blended into water.
6. Add sugar to rhubarb liquid and stir well to dissolve. Allow rhubarb syrup to cool in refrigerator.
7. To make soda, pour 1.5oz of syrup over ice and top off with sparkling water.
Copyright 2013, Clover Fast Food
