Rhubarb Liqueur

My community garden plot is bursting with rhubarb, so I’ve harvested it and am looking for new ways to use it. I came across this recipe for a rhubarb liqueur, so I thought I’d give it a try. Last year’s blackberry liqueur was a big hit at my 50th birthday party (what? in my soul I’m 34), so I thought maybe this could be the next big hit.

I halved the recipe to make just one jar of liqueur. The only other thing I changed was to make a slit down each rhubarb stalk, because I thought that would help the rhubarby-ness meld with the vodka-ness.

This is the first time I’ve posted a recipe before tasting the end result and getting a thumbs up from at least one other person. But . . .  it takes six weeks to taste the results of this one, so I thought I’d just go ahead and post it now during rhubarb season in case anyone wants to try it out alongside me. And in six weeks or so I’ll post the results, hopefully with a new cocktail recipe. Please let me know if you try it – I’d love to hear how it works out for you!

You might notice that the rhubarb in my picture isn’t particularly red – if you have rhubarb that is redder, is is preferable for this recipe. The liqueur will take on a pretty red colour that way. So mine might not look as pretty, but I’m sure it will be super tasty!

What you need:

• 1 lb rhubarb
• 5cm long chunk of fresh ginger
• the peels of two oranges
• 750mL vodka (I used Stolichnaya)
• (to be added in in 6 weeks) – simple syrup: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water

What you do:

1. Cut the rhubarb stalks into lengths that will fit in a 1 litre canning jar. Place the rhubarb in the jar.
2. Cut the ginger into smaller pieces and add them to the jar.
3. Use a vegetable peeler to cut the peels off the oranges, using only the outer orange part. Add these to the jar.
4. Add as much vodka as you can fit in the jar, completely covering the rhubarb. My recipe used pretty much the whole bottle.
5. Screw the lid onto the jar, then store it in a cool dark place for about six weeks. Every few days give the jar a shake, turning it upside down.
6. After the six weeks are up, make a simple syrup. Just heat the water and sugar to boiling, and let it cool before using.
7. Strain the contents of the jar through cheesecloth, returning the liquid to the jar. 
8. Add simple syrup to taste. Remember, you can always add more simple syrup later on if you find it is not sweet enough.
9. Bottle the liqueur into smaller decorative bottles, or just use some canning jars for this.
10. Use in cocktails, or just add it to some sparkling water.