I read enough food magazines to know that when rhubarb is either featured or mentioned on the cover, that the season change is near.
I didn’t grow up eating rhubarb; it just wasn’t something that we did. However, I do remember seeing it in the produce section of the grocery store as a child and being a bit mystified by it. I always wanted to have strawberry-rhubarb pie, the only application I had ever heard of for the plant.
So, when I saw rhubarb at the grocery store recently, I knew it was coming home with me. I had no specific plans for it, but knew I could do something with it.
This was not one of those times inspiration struck quickly. My rhubarb’s desire to become limp, on the other hand, was downright fervent. So I decided to take my flaccid stalks and turn them into rhubarb syrup. I did this by mixing up the ingredients for a 1:1 simple syrup plus rhubarb chunks. I cooked the mixture over lowish heat until the rhubarb began to fall apart. Then I strained the mixture into storage containers.
Once I decided that I was going to make rhubarb syrup, I knew soda was next (and an easy next step). I simply pour a bit of syrup into a glass of ice and top with soda water. For a more *adult* drink, vodka fits right in here.
And soda saves the day, or at least the rhubarb.