Rhubarb Raspberry Syrup

A few weeks ago, I turned to the wannafoodie facebook page for suggestions on ingredients for which people wanted to see recipes. There were lots of suggestions... one of which was for rhubarb. As anyone who has a rhubarb plant can attest, it grows like a weed and often yields more than one family could ever imagine using. In fact, I only just finished using the last of the rhubarb, frozen from last year, a few months ago. I don't even have a rhubarb plant in my garden as I have four or five friends who would happily supply me with rhubarb anytime that it remotely crossed my mind... and sometimes completely unsolicited!

I was sitting in the backyard, enjoying an apple mint mojito, when it occurred to me that I should try a rhubarb syrup in place of that apple cider syrup that I had made. It seemed that I wasn't the only one thinking that way when I saw this beautiful dark purple blackberry verbena syrup. That sealed the deal! I had to have a pretty pink soda!

Rhubarb Raspberry Syrup
3 cups rhubarb, chopped into chunks
1 cup (or a handful) raspberries
1 litre water
1 cup sugar

Either harvest some rhubarb or ask a neighbour for a bit of their stock... clean and chop it into rough chunks. It doesn't have to be pretty. The raspberry was a last minute addition on my part, as I when I asked for rhubarb from my neighbour-mom, it appeared with a few pints of raspberries! (Me = spoiled.)

So, grab your stock pot and add your fruit. Then add your cup of sugar and cover with the water. Stir everything together and bring it up to a boil. I let it simmer together for about fifteen to twenty minutes (about the time that it took me to begrudgingly wash the dishes that I had let pile up...). At this point, you need to strain the fruit from the syrup using a sieve. It should have that beautiful pink hue from the rhubarb and berries. Put the syrup back into the pot and reduce slightly. Cautiously give it a taste (don't burn yourself!) and gauge the sugar level. If you want the syrup to be a bit sweeter, then you can dissolve a bit more sugar into the hot syrup and taste again.

Let the syrup cool, then transfer it into a bottle or canister that you can store in the fridge.

Now... for some pretty drinks... Add an ounce of the rhubarb-raspberry syrup in place of your simple syrup in a mojito! Or, skip the rum and just add soda. I have some raspberry liquor (and some great raspberry vodka that a friend made), which are just killer with the syrup and soda. Or, you could go for an Italian soda by adding a bit of cream to your syrup and soda combo. Or! All of the above! hahahah.