Homemade Rhubarb gin – light and refreshing with a distinct rhubarb taste.
Last autumn I planted some rhubarb at my allotment. It is so easy to grow and doesn’t
require any attention apart from watering in the summer and giving it a good mulch of manure in the Autumn.
Apparently you are not supposed to harvest the
stalks during the first year as this can weaken the plant. However, I couldn’t resist picking a few stalks. I removed the leaves, trimmed the stalks and washed them. I then cut them into 3cm pieces and popped them in the freezer.
Gin is making a comeback these days, particularly fruit flavoured gins. My favourite tipple has always been gin and tonic and when I saw this recipe for making homemade Rhubarb Gin I couldn’t resist giving it a try. I already had some rhubarb in the freezer and the recipe looked very easy.
HOMEMADE Rhubarb Gin
This recipe is adapted from BBC Good Food – https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/rhubarb-gin
Ingredients
Method
Wash the rhubarb, trim the stalks and discard the base and any leaves. Cut the stalks into 3cm lengths. Put in a large jar with the sugar. Shake everything around, put the lid on and leave overnight. The sugar will draw the juice out of the rhubarb.- After 24 hrs, add the gin, seal and shake everything around. Put in a dark cupboard and shake occasionally. Leave for about 4 weeks before drinking. You can strain the liquor off through a muslin-lined sieve and transfer to a bottle, but I often just leave the rhubarb and booze in the jar and ladle it into drinks that way. Over time the rhubarb and the gin go a much paler colour – this doesn’t look as dramatic. The upside is you that have to get through it fairly quickly! If you strain the fruit off the gin soaked rhubarb can be used in fruit pies or crumbles
Homemade rhubarb gin is great served with ice and tonic or ginger beer. I like it best served in a flute glass topped up with prosecco. Enjoy
