Rhubarb and Rose Syrup Recipe

If it’s a flavour combination you’ve never considered before, I’m here to tell you that rhubarb and rose complement each other perfectly. The sweetness of the rose balances out the tartness of rhubarb, leaving a lovely, sweet n’ sour blend that’s perfect all-year-long. I use this rhubarb and rose syrup recipe for the base of both hot and cold drinks, and everyone loves it in a cheeky little cocktail.

Intrigued? Let me tell you a little more…

How to Make Rhubarb and Rose Syrup

I’ve got a patch of rhubarb growing in my garden and it doesn’t matter whether beams of sunlight scorch the earth, or it rains for fifty days; that patch of rhubarb simply does not die. I didn’t even plant it there. It just appeared one day, literally like magic. And now I have a steady supply or rhubarb for crumbles and… well, that was pretty much it for a while. My freezer was full of frozen rhubarb or rhubarb crumble.

I needed to branch out and find new, fun ways to use the fruit growing in my garden. That’s how this delicious little syrup recipe was born.

But that’s enough of the history.

Ingredients

I’ve added the amount of each ingredient I used to make this rhubarb and rose syrup, but you can alter the taste by adding a little more or less. You can also play around with your own ingredients, adding spices or other fruits to make something completely match to your tastes.

You will need the following ingredients to make this tart and sweet syrup:

• Rhubarb – 0.5kg (1.1 pounds/4 cups)
• Rose Water – 2 teaspoons
• Water – 250ml (the regular stuff)
• Turbinado Sugar – 200g (0.5 pounds/1 cup)

Equipment

You’re going to need quite a few bits and pieces to create this syrup, so I recommend making sure you’ve got everything you’ll need before starting. Trust me on this one… I got halfway through and realised I’d lent my sieve to my neighbour, who wasn’t at home.

• Weighing scales (if you’re a measurer)
• Teaspoon
• Measuring jug/cup/spoon
• Saucepan (heavy-bottomed, medium sized)
• Sieve
• Jug
• Chopping board + knife
• Wooden spoon
• Metal spoon
• Storage jar or bottle + label
• Spare container (optional, for rustic jam leftovers)

Rhubarb and Rose Syrup: Step-by-Step

Now, before we start, I want you to know that this isn’t a five-minute recipe. It’s best to do this on a day where you have a few hours spare, because you’ll need cooling time amongst other things.

Step One

Prepare the rhubarb.

If you’re grabbing rhubarb from the garden, do that first. You’ll need to remove any leaves, wash the stalks, and chop it into reasonably small chunks. The larger the chunks are, the longer it will take to stew them. Because of that, I recommend cutting them smaller rather than larger.

Step Two

Stew the rhubarb.

Grab your heavy-bottomed saucepan and pour in the water, sugar, and chunks of rhubarb. Place it over a medium heat and let it come to a boil, stirring regularly.

Step Three

Simmer.

Once the mixture has come to a boil, turn the heat down to low. You will need to let it simmer now, for around 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.

Give the rhubarb a poke with a sharp knife towards the end. The fruit is ready and cooked once the knife slides all the way through. It should be soft and mushy.

Step Four

Lump removal.

Once the fruit is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat and turn the heat off.

You’ll need your sieve and jug at this point. Pour the mixture from the saucepan into the sieve, slowly and gradually, bit by bit. The liquid will collect in the jug at the bottom, and the mushy and lumpy bits will remain in the sieve.

With the back of a spoon, mash the fruit remnants through the sieve, to draw out as much liquid as possible.

Step Five

Remnants.

There will likely be some fruit mush still left on the sieve when you’ve finished collecting the fluid. You can do a couple of things with that mush if you don’t want to throw it away. These include:

• Composting on your compost heap
• Use it another dessert, such as crumble
• Add it to toast, as a rustic-style jam (my favourite)

Step Six

Add rose water.

You will now have a jug of rhubarb syrup to which you’ll need to add rose water. Now, rose water is strong and can quickly overpower any recipe, so I recommend starting small and adding more if necessary.

I add one teaspoon to the syrup, then give it a taste. Remember the mixture will still be hot, so don’t dunk your finger in; use a spoon and blow it cool first!

You can always add more rose water, but you can’t take it away if you’ve added too much.

Ensure that the mixture is well stirred to infuse all the flavours.

Step Seven

Cooling.

The hot rhubarb and rose water syrup must cool down before you do anything with it. I leave mine on the counter, with a clean tea towel over the top. You can use cling film with holes poked in, tin foil, or similar.

There needs to be some sort of ventilation so the hot air can escape, but you don’t want flies and other bugs to get in there.

Step Eight

Bottling and refrigeration.

Once the syrup has cooled, move it to the bottle, tub, or other airtight container you plan to store it in. It should be kept in the fridge, in the airtight container.

I personally like the bottles below because they look cute, but you could use old maple syrup bottles (cleaned out), an old jar (cleaned out), or whatever other airtight container you have to hand.

How Long Will Homemade Rhubarb and Rose Syrup Last?

Your homemade rhubarb and rose syrup will last for up to 2 months.

If you notice any changes to the syrup, such as patches of light or dark-coloured mould on the top, a weird smell, or new particles floating around in it, dispose of it responsibly. Once it has changed, it is likely no longer safe to consume. The high-sugar content should keep it preserved for a decent length of time, however.

Turbinado Sugar – What’s That?

Turbinado sugar is similar to brown sugar, but it is coarser, has larger crystals, and has a lighter colour.

Brown sugar is finer and usually quite a lot darker, and it also has a stronger flavour than its turbinado counterpart.

You can use brown sugar if you don’t have/can’t get turbinado sugar, but you should use slightly less than what the recipe calls for, and then add a little more if necessary. Brown sugar has more flavour, so it can alter the taste of the finished cocktail slightly.  

You can also use raw cane sugar, which is a pretty similar match to turbinado sugar.

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