Rhubarb pie in the summer
Rhubarb pie made by my mother
Nothing better in the winter
Than rhubarb pie after dinner!
There you go. Now you, too, can sing this song to yourself repeatedly when rhubarb comes into season.
You’re welcome.
However, today, I am not going to talk about rhubarb pie or give you a recipe for one. (Though I might sing about it still.) Rhubarb pie is delicious, but let’s face it. There’s already a gazillion and one recipes for it out there and you don’t need mine too.
What you do need, however, is fermented rhubarb. If that makes you want to gag, you should first read about the awesomeness of fermentation. If you’re still with me, then you need to try this. Honestly, fermented rhubarb doesn’t taste terribly different from regular rhubarb. Besides that, it’s easy to make and it’s good for you. So there. 🙂
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Fermented Rhubarb
- 4 cups chopped rhubarb
- 2 Tbsp whey (leftover from cheese or yogurt-making)
- 1/4 cup raw sugar
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt (I use this one)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Enough water to fill the jar within 1″ of the top
Simply mix all ingredients together and put in the fermenting vessel of your choice, leaving about 1″ headspace if you’re fermenting in a jar. Use a weight to ensure that the rhubarb stays beneath the brine. Install an airlock or properly burp your jars each day to allow for the venting of CO2 that builds up during the fermentation process. Allow to sit on the counter at room temperature for 4-7 days, then move to cold storage.
I use a Fermentools kit any time I ferment. It’s one of the least expensive kits out there, and you don’t need special jars or crocks because they fit on top of any wide mouth mason jar. It takes the guesswork out of fermenting for me. Less mistakes= money saved in the long run.
And of course, I promised you a Rhubarb Lemonade recipe too. This is super simple, and should use about half of the fermented rhubarb you just made, leaving you the other half to experiment with or eat straight from the jar. 🙂
Probiotic Rhubarb Lemonade
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups chopped fermented rhubarb & its juices
- 3/4 cup lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed)
- More water to make a quart
- Mix sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until sugar dissolves to make a simple syrup. Let cool and chill.
- Mix simple syrup and rhubarb in a quart sized mason jar or other container. Add cold water to make a quart total.
And that’s it! You’ve got the good juices from the fermented rhubarb in your lemonade, so you’re getting a dose of probiotics with each sip. I haven’t tried this with a “double brew” technique as you would with kombucha, but if you’re feeling adventurous, give it a go.
Try it? Like it? Let me know how it went for you!
