Description

Thirst quenching and rich in electolytes, shrubs are old fashioned drinks that are coming back in vogue. This rhubarb shrub uses raw rhubarb. The redder your rhubarb, the rosier your shrub will be.

Ingredients

Scale

12 cups rhubarb, chopped
3 cups sugar
6 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced.
4 cups apple cider vinegar

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Instructions

Prepare the rhubarb stalks by washing, and chopping into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Place in 3 quart mason jars. Add 1 cup of sugar to each Mason jar. Divide the ginger pieces between the three jars.

Cap tightly and shake to evenly distribute the sugar.

Place in the fridge. Shake daily to dissolve the sugar and distribute it evenly through the rhubarb.

After 4 days, strain the rhubarb syrup from the fruit. The spent fruit can be eaten as is, used in cooking, or added to baking. Reserve the syrup for the shrub recipe.

In a clean, sanitized jar, add the 2 cups of the reserved syrup and 2 cups of raw, apple cider vinegar. Repeat with the remaining syrup, adding an equal amount of raw, apple cider vinegar to the amount of remaining syrup.

Store in the refrigerator. Will keep for year. The acid of the vinegar prevents spoilage. Do not can this as heat will destroy the enzymes that aid digestion.

To use:

Add 2 tablespoons to a glass. Add ice. Top up glass with soda water or plain water. Add a straw. Drink freely.

To use as a drink mixer:

Add rhubarb shrub to any cocktail that calls for simple syrup, substituting the shrub for the syrup and citrus juice called for in the recipe.

Notes

I like to add the leftover rhubarb fruit from this recipe to savory meat dishes. Add it to roast chicken, roast beef or fish. Pour it over the raw meat. Add onions and garlic to the pan. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes, or as long as it takes to cook the meat through. Stir it half way through the cooking time and baste the meat with the juices. Serve the meat with the rhubarb sauce. It adds a nice sweet and sour flavor.