Homemade Rhubarb and Strawberry infused Vodka recipe
This Rhubarb and Strawberry infused vodka recipe is quick and easy to make. It’s the perfect pairing of Spring and Summer summer fruits in a refreshing drink. Although, rhubarb isn’t actually a fruit, but a very versatile perennial vegetable that quickly erupts in a blaze of pinks, reds, and greens in early Spring. With different varieties giving us harvests all through the season. Starting in very early Spring with Yorkshire’s Winter Forced Rhubarb in its nine square miles that were awarded Protected Designation of Origin status in 2010. Other varieties such as Victoria will carry in right in to the late Autumn.
In contrast is the short window of the British strawberry. Famous for being being eaten with cream during Wimbledon Tennis. Then there’s the argument over whether it’s put on the scone as jam before the cream. That’s if we can get them picked before the rain, slugs, birds, and mould get to them. Better get the picked and put in vodka with rhubarb whilst we can!
To make Rhubarb and Strawberry infused vodka
You can either be really strict about this so as to try and get a product that is as close to exact every time, or you can do as I do. Personally, as a scratch cook I rarely follow recipes and generally eyeball things. The reason I don’t have a cook book is because there is no standard measure for ‘about that much’. However, just for you, I measured what I used this time, but feel free to faff about with it.
Ingredients for Rhubarb and Strawberry infused Vodka recipe
800g Rhubarb
800g Strawberries
500g Sugar
70-1000cl vodka
Equipment
3ltr Jar
knife
bowls
scales
Something to act as filter; jelly bag, muslin cloth, clean tea towel, coffee filters etc.
bottles.
Method
Make sure all equipment is clean. Jar need only be washed in hot soapy water. Remember to not put cold liquid in hot glass, and vice versa. Clean and chop the rhubarb. If you experience a drying and gritty feeling in your mouth when eating rhubarb, this is due to allergies to its pollen. There are compounds in the skin of the Rhubarb that can also cause a reaction. The same can happen when eating raw beetroot. Just peel the rhubarb, and you should be fine. Once all your fruit is chopped, place in jar in alternate layer with the sugar. Leave enough room to cover with the vodka, and be able to shake to dissolve the sugar for a few days.
Leave for one to two weeks, but no more. Unlike infused vodka made with stoned fruits, this does not benefit from being left for months. This does benefit from being double filtered though, as more pulp will usually make the vodka cloudy. It will settle over time, and isn’t really a problem, but can be unsightly is giving as a gift. This recipe will create well over a litre of liquid from this amount of fruit and 70cl of vodka. Each batch is different depending on the quality of fruit and amount of sugar used. I like to collect pretty bottles to use as gifts, but also small bottles for the extra left over.
Eyeballing it
If you’re like me, and you’d rather just ‘eyeball it’, use any jar with a lid you have. place in your fruit, and it’s totally up to you how much sugar you add, or don’t. Cover with Vodka, or actually any kind of alcohol you like. I’ve done pineapple in spiced rum that would have a Pirate crying when it’s all gone. The possibilities are endless, and so much fun. I know I’m making this sound like I drink a lot, but actually I hardly drink at all. I just like making it.
What to do with the left over fruit
It’s always a good idea to have ready prepared cooking apples stored in the freezer. You just never know when you’ll need them, and this is one of those times. Since apples contain so much pectin they are great to add in to any of these fruits we use so we can make jam with them. Don’t want jam, groovy, make ice-cream and puree this fruit for an adult treat. Want fruit for your Christmas cake? Trifle, summer pudding, cheesecake… There are lots of possibilities. I do hope you’ll give it a go, experiment, and make it your own. Cheers!
You can see my video for it here-