Best Rhubarb Cordial Recipe – refreshing and zingy

This is a fantastic recipe for a fresh and zingy cordial. Along with Pink Elderflower Cordial, it is an absolute favourite to bring to my apiaries to provide hydration and energy for those long days working with my bees. It is one of the best cordial recipes I have found, so I am happy to share it with you.

Unlike many other recipes for rhubarb cordial, this one is not boiled. It means that the fresh, crisp and tangy taste of this spring delicacy can really shine. You can make it with fresh rhubarb, but frozen sliced rhubarb is perfect. At the height of rhubarb season, before midsummer, I will make a lot of this cordial and freeze it. I also freeze bags of sliced rhubarb, perfect for using in the winter.

It is a really straight-forward recipe, so I won’t pretend it’s more difficult than it is with a long-winded explanation of what, where, how and why. Just try it.

Here it is, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2 kg rhubarb, washed and cut into ¼-1/2 in slices
• 2-3 lemons, sliced
• 40-50 g citric acid (for a more tart taste, use the larger amount)
• 2 litres of water
• 2 kg sugar

How to make rhubarb cordial

Place the sliced rhubarb, sliced lemons and citric acid in a large bowl or pot.

Boil the water and pour over the rhubarb.

Stir and cover. Place cool for 2 days. Stir once or twice a day.

Strain and stir in the sugar until it dissolves.

Bottle into clean sterilized jars or bottles.

Storing rhubarb cordial

Once bottled, the cordial will last for up to two weeks in the fridge (if you don’t drink it first!) For longer term storage, You can freeze it. Pour into your container of choice, remember that it will expand when frozen, so only fill to 2/3 or 3/4. Glass or plastic containers will both work fine.

Enjoy with plain water, fizz it up with sparkling water or add to your favourite cocktail for a bit of springy je ne sais quoi.

Top Tips

If you have a lot of rhubarb but little time to process it, slice it up and pop into the freezer and you can enjoy fresh rhubarb all year round.

Use ‘ugly’ stalks for this recipe. The cordial will taste just as nice, and you get to use up stalks you might otherwise have thrown out or left on the compost heap.

Make jam with your leftovers. Pick out the lemon slices. Boil up the rhubarb, and add sugar to make a delicious jam. Spice with ginger or cardamom.

Rhubarb is best enjoyed until midsummer. After that, only pick the fresh new stalks.

Try tender early rhubarb fried in butter, honey and cardamom served with vanilla ice cream. It is simply divine!