For some reason, it is believed that from rhubarb you can only get a good and healthy salad, or at most make juice from it for those who decide to eat healthy. In fact, this product is universal; it is pleasant not only in fresh, boiled and baked form. Even a novice winemaker can make rhubarb wine at home using a simple recipe. You don't need any special ingredients.
Nuances of preparing the drink
Rhubarb wine turns out to be quite unusual not only in its taste, but also in color.The herbaceous plant produces an alcoholic drink that is light pink in color, with slight sourness and sweetness. The aroma is quite subtle and barely perceptible, so it is used either as a light table drink, or added as a base to others.
Oranges, lemons and other fruits will help make the taste of rhubarb wine immediately richer and more interesting.
The most important point is to choose the right rhubarb. Only this one is taken:
- not overripe;
- red tint;
- juicy, not dry;
- with thick petioles.
Select dishes that will not oxidize upon contact with the drink. Glass, high-quality plastic or enameled will do. The use of metal or aluminum is strictly prohibited. The peel is not removed from rhubarb, since it contains tannins necessary for the start of fermentation. Heat treatment is mandatory, since it not only removes the specific herbaceous smell, but also helps to fully develop the taste of the plant.
Many recipes use special wine yeast. You can buy them at a wine store.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that they do not use boiled water to prepare the starter.
Raw materials are prepared in a certain way. First, the leaves are separated from the cuttings (the first ones are thrown away). The petioles are immersed in hot water and washed thoroughly. Then lay them out on a towel or napkins on the table. After complete drying, cut into small cubes.
How to make rhubarb wine at home
Use one of the proven recipes.
Simple recipe without yeast
The simplest recipe can be repeated by a novice winemaker. You will need to take:
- 3 kilograms of rhubarb;
- half a kilo of granulated sugar per liter of plant juice obtained;
- 100 grams of unwashed light raisins.
Pour raisins with a small amount of warm water, add a couple of tablespoons of sugar and take them to a warm place. This is necessary in order to obtain the initial leaven.
Prepare the rhubarb in the manner described above, then pass the stems through a juicer. Boil the juice for 5 minutes, then add the resulting starter and the rest of the sugar. Leave for three days in a warm room.
After this, pour the liquid into a bottle, install a water seal, or place a regular rubber glove. The sediment is drained only after a few days. Then you can add a little more sugar if the composition does not seem sweet. Leave until fermentation is complete (usually this takes up to a month). The wine should mature in the cellar at low temperatures.
Wine without herbal aftertaste
If you make wine according to the previous algorithm, the herbal taste will remain. Some people don’t feel it at all or they like it, but for others this nuance can cause hostility. Therefore, another special recipe is used to get rid of the specific aroma. You will need to take:
- 4 kilograms of rhubarb stem;
- 800 milliliters of water;
- 3 cups granulated sugar.
Boil the rhubarb for at least 30 minutes. Add half the granulated sugar to half the broth, and place the second part in the refrigerator. The first is left to ferment according to the standard algorithm (as for ordinary grape wine). After five days, the first part will produce a leaven that has a pronounced sour smell. From the second part, sugar syrup is made with the rest of the sugar. Mix both parts and leave to ferment in a large bottle with a seal.
Option with lemon
A lemon alcoholic drink will decorate the holiday table. But at the same time, it is completely easy to do. You will need to take:
- 2 kilograms of rhubarb;
- 3 liters of water;
- 2 large lemons;
- 1 packet of special yeast for homemade wine;
- 4 cups sugar.
Finely chop the rhubarb, add water and leave for 4 days. After this time, wash the plant and put it back in the same water. Boil for half an hour, then add the juice of two lemons and sugar. Everything is thoroughly mixed and sent to ferment in a large bottle until the wine is fully matured.
With oranges
Wine prepared according to the previous recipe turns out to be more sour than citrusy. If you want to feel the bright and rich aroma of overseas fruits, then it is better to choose a recipe with oranges. You will need to take:
- 4 kilos of rhubarb;
- 2 kilos of oranges;
- 700 grams of sugar;
- a packet of yeast;
- liter of clean water.
The cooking algorithm is the same as in the previous recipe. Orange juice is poured in before directly pouring the composition into a large bottle. Place a shutter or a rubber glove. The wine should ferment in jars in a dry, cool cellar for at least three months.
You can drain the sediment - it will become more golden in color.
By leaps and bounds
Wine made with yeast is produced in any case. To prepare it you will need the following ingredients:
- half a kilo of rhubarb jam;
- 1 kilogram of fresh petioles;
- 25 grams of wine yeast;
- 3 liters of water;
- 900 grams of granulated sugar.
The jam and the stems softened in boiling water are combined with each other and pounded with sugar to produce juice. Yeast is added and left for four days. Then they act according to the standard algorithm.
With raspberries
The peculiarity of this recipe is that the sourdough is made without raspberries.It is ordinary, raspberry juice is added at the last stage, when the composition is poured into a bottle. For a kilo of rhubarb you need to take 400 grams of fresh raspberries.
How to store the finished product
It is necessary to store the alcoholic drink made from rhubarb only in a dry, cool room, avoiding direct sunlight (otherwise it will change its color and become cloudy). The shelf life of the juice is up to two years.
