Rhubarb Syrup for Desserts, Breakfasts, and Tastybeverages

Rhubarb Syrup for Desserts, Breakfasts, and Tasty Beverages Rhubarb’s unique taste and medicinal properties have made it a cultivated favorite for over 2,000 years. The leaves of the plant are poisonous, but the edible stem was originally grown for its many medicinal benefits. It was not until the 18th century that people started growing the plant as a tasty addition to the kitchen table, frequently using it as a fruit substitute when sweetened, or mixed with other sweet fruits, such as strawberries. Rhubarb is a wonderful perennial plant; everyone should have at least one growing in their garden for a seasonal batch of syrup or a pie. Rhubarb is a healthy vegetable, rich in Vitamin C, calcium, potassium and fiber. It also supplies polyphenol antioxidants, which may help prevent ailments such as cancer and arthritis. One cup of rhubarb also has only about 20 calories, making it one of the least caloric vegetables around. MAKING THE SYRUP Making rhubarb syrup is easy, and follows the same basic principle as making any other kind of fruit syrup. Either fresh or frozen rhubarb can be used, but fresh is always best if you can get it.

You’ll need about 1 pound of rhubarb stalks to make about 1 quart of syrup. Ingredients  1 lb rhubarb, cleaned and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces  7 cups water  3 cups honey or sugar  1 tsp vanilla (optional) Method Put your chopped rhubarb into a large stainless steel saucepan. Add your water, vanilla, and honey or sugar. (Note: because of the tartness of rhubarb, you can’t cut back on the sugar as much as you can for sweet fruits; I made this syrup more on the tart side, so add more honey or sugar for a sweeter syrup.) Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Be sure to save the fruit after making the syrup; you can add it to your favorite cake recipe, or mix with yogurt and nuts for a delicious breakfast. After 30 minutes, strain your liquid to remove the fruit. You can either use a jelly bag or a colander lined with a dish cloth. Resist the urge to squeeze the fruit to extract juice; it is better to let it sit and for the liquid to drip naturally. Squeezing juice will cause the resulting syrup to be cloudy. Be sure that you reserve both the fruit and the liquid! Take your fruit and reserve in a bowl to use in other recipes (see below.) Freeze or store in the refrigerator for immediate use. Return the strained juice to your pot. Add more honey or sugar to taste. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil gently until reduced by half. This can take quite awhile so be patient and stir occasionally. Once your syrup is reduced and thickened, pour it into a jar for use in a variety of ways (see below.) USING THE SYRUP AND FRUIT

Use rhubarb syrup as an addition to delicious summer beverages, like this coconut water, rhubarb, and rum punch. Now that you have your syrup and leftover fruit, what do you do with it? In short, you use if for anything that you imagine using syrup or fruit for: Mix leftover fruit with yogurt, nuts, and apples for a tasty breakfast. Top cooked oatmeal or other hot cereal with the leftover fruit. Mix the cooked fruit with your favorite vanilla cake recipe or quick bread for a tasty addition. Freeze the syrup into slushy cubes and add to glasses of orange juice, lemonade, or water with sliced limes. (Due to the high sugar content, they will not freeze like water.) Use the syrup to enhance cocktails or tropical punches. Pour syrup over fruit for a refreshing dessert. Use over pancakes or French toast in the morning. Consider offering it as a substitute for cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner.