Friday 29 July 2016

Rhubarb Schnapps

We have made several fruit liqueurs in the past - damson and sloe gin and cherry brandy. They are very popular amongst my friends as an after dinner drink. Last year, at the suggestion of my sister, we tried rhubarb schnapps. I used a Nigella recipe, but found it to be a bit weak and insipid. This year, I'm experimenting!

1. 1kg rhubarb, chopped very finely. I froze this overnight, which has the effect of breaking open the cell walls and allowing the juice to escape. This was far too much rhubarb, but I had loads in the garden - 500g would have been plenty. 

2. Next day, I put the rhubarb into a demijohn, with 200g sugar, and 750ml vodka. I used Sainsbury's standard vodka. I'll taste after about a month, and see if it needs more sugar.


3. I kept this in a cool place, out of direct sunlight, shaking every day for a week (ensuring that all the sugar is dissolved after this time), then every week until the autumn, when I'll strain off the liquid, back into the vodka bottle. 

I'll keep you posted, and look forward to a sip later in the year.