Rhubarb Cordial

the Scandinavian spring drink: fresh rhubarb stalks slowly extracted with sugar and lemon to produce a concentrated, sherbety, brilliant-pink syrup, diluted with cold water or sparkling water to make the defining Nordic cordial of the rhubarb season

Origin: Norway, Denmark, and the Nordic Countries

From the journey of Rhubarb.

The cordial (a concentrated fruit syrup diluted with water or sparkling water at the moment of serving) is a central form in the Scandinavian drinks tradition, and rhubarb occupies the same place in the Nordic spring cordial calendar that elderflower occupies in the Nordic early summer. The two flavours often appear in succession in the seasonal arc of homemade Nordic drinks: the rhubarb cordial arrives first, sharp and vivid, as the rhubarb plants push their first stalks in April and May; the elderflower cordial follows in late May and June, floral and more delicate, as the flowers open. Between them they cover the most celebrated weeks of the Nordic spring. The Scandinavian rhubarb cordial tradition differs from British bottled cordials primarily in its approach to the cooking process: many Nordic recipes extract the juice by covering the rhubarb with cold water and sugar and leaving it to macerate and slowly dissolve, extracting the maximum colour and flavour without the cooking process that darkens the juice and blunts its freshest notes. The result is a cordial of exceptional brightness: sharply tart, intensely pink, with a clean rhubarb character unmarred by any cooked or jammy note. Diluted with sparkling water and served over ice, it is among the most refreshing and most characterful of all seasonal drinks, and its colour (a vivid rose-pink to deep magenta depending on the rhubarb variety) is one of its most arresting features. In Norway and Denmark it is made at home in large quantities at the start of the rhubarb season and consumed throughout the summer.

Ingredients

  • 700 g rhubarb stalks (as pink as possible for colour), roughly chopped
  • 400 ml water
  • 350 g caster sugar
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest
  • 1 small piece of fresh ginger (about 15 g), peeled and sliced (optional)
  • 0.5 tsp citric acid (optional, for brightness and preservation)

Method

  1. Place the rhubarb, water, and ginger (if using) in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the rhubarb has completely collapsed and is very soft.
  2. Pour the cooked rhubarb into a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl or jug. Allow to drip for 10 minutes, then press firmly with the back of a spoon to extract all remaining liquid. For an even clearer cordial, line the sieve with a piece of muslin cloth and allow to drip without pressing. Discard the pulp.
  3. Return the strained juice to the pan. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Heat gently over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Do not boil. Taste and adjust sweetness and acidity.
  4. If using citric acid, stir it in at this stage; it sharpens the flavour and extends the shelf life of the cordial. Pour the finished cordial into sterilised bottles while still warm. Cool, then refrigerate.
  5. To serve: pour approximately 30–40 ml of cordial into a tall glass over ice. Top with cold still or sparkling water to taste, roughly 1 part cordial to 4–5 parts water, adjusted to preference. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a small piece of fresh rhubarb if available.

Notes

Refrigerated, this cordial keeps for 2–3 weeks without citric acid and up to 6 weeks with it. For longer storage, freeze in ice-cube trays, the cubes can be dropped directly into glasses of water. The ginger in this recipe is optional; without it the rhubarb flavour is purer and brighter, with it there is a gentle warmth and slight spice that many find very pleasing. Vanilla (a split pod added to the simmering rhubarb and removed before bottling) is another good addition: it gives a slightly more perfumed, dessert-like character to the cordial.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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