Yum. This is simply delicious on a hot summers day. If you have rhubarb in abundance (like my friend Emma who gave me a massive bag of it this week) – making this cordial is a great way to use it up. Keep it in the fridge and serve with sparkling water, or even better make a Rhubarb Collins!

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of freshly cut rhubarb
• 600g caster sugar
• 2 large oranges
• 2 large lemons
• 2 knobs of ginger (a knob being about 5cm long)
• 600 ml water

You will need a jam strainer or muslin bag for this recipe.

Method:

• Wash and chop the rhubarb into chunks
• Using a micro plane, grate all the zest off the oranges and lemons
• Juice the oranges and lemons
• Peel the ginger and slice into thick chunks
• Put the sugar and water into large pot and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes (this is now sugar syrup)
• Add all the other ingredients and simmer over a medium heat until the rhubarb is completely mushy
• Turn off the heat and leave to steep with the lid on while you prepare your bottles
• Turn your oven on to bake at 150°
• Wash two 500 – 600ml glass bottles in warm soapy water
• Dry the bottles with a clean tea towel and lay on the rack in the oven
• Bake for 15 mins to sterilize
• Sterile the lids and a funnel in boiling water
• Place your muslin bag or jam strainer over a large, sterilized pyrex jug
• Ladle the rhubarb mixture into the bag / strainer and let it drain through (I hook mine over the door knob so that I can get on with cleaning up)
• Pour the cordial into the sterilized bottles and seal
• Store in the fridge for up to a month

Because my cooking is better than my photography I sometimes use stock images tp show what it should look like. The cover image of this recipe belongs to Alexandra Anschiz