Homemade Rhubarb Cordial — A Glorious Pink Summer Recipe

There's something wonderfully satisfying about turning a glut of garden rhubarb into a bottle of jewel-bright cordial. This recipe makes just over half a litre — about a pint — of the most glorious pink cordial you'll ever taste.

What You'll Need

• 1kg (2.2 lbs) fresh rhubarb stalks
• 550ml water (about a pint)
• 300g (10 oz) sugar
• Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Chop the rhubarb stalks into small pieces and simmer in a large saucepan with the water for 10 minutes, or until the rhubarb has softened.
2. Strain the rhubarb through a jelly bag, linen tea towel, or fine sieve, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Don't discard the fruit — save it for crumbles, cakes, or a cereal topping.
3. Pour the juice into a clean pan and add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla essence.
4. Boil for 10–15 minutes until you have a syrup-like consistency.
5. Pour into a sterilised jar or bottle, seal, and cool to room temperature.

To Serve

Pour about an inch of cordial into the bottom of a glass and top up with fizzy or still water to your taste. Add a slice of lemon and a couple of ice cubes. Refreshing, beautiful, and utterly summery.

The cordial keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks — or pop it in the freezer if you want to save some for later. Kick back and enjoy!

A Few Tips for the Kitchen

Straining the rhubarb through one of our hand-printed linen tea towels works beautifully and gives you a wonderfully clear cordial. Our tea towels are made from pure linen — naturally absorbent and strong enough for the job, and far lovelier than a disposable cloth.

Once you've made your cordial, cover the leftover rhubarb pulp in a bowl with one of our reusable linen bowl covers to keep it fresh in the fridge until you're ready to use it in a crumble or cake.

And when you sit down to enjoy your cordial, why not lay the table with a set of our Hedgerow linen napkins? The botanical print feels perfectly at home alongside a glass of pink rhubarb cordial.

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