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Sorry Andrew, one more, can you use frozen Rhubarb as we have bucket load of it.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated lots - Sunday 28th at 1640hrs

Sorry if this question has already been answered in another thread - is it better to use forced rhubarb for the nice pink colour, or does the colour fade anyway over time? Is the flavour any better if you use the forced stems?

piglet- so have we but as we'd cooked ours before freezing,thought it wouldn't work out. Will just have to munch our way through that this year and use this years crop to make schnapps eh??? Had you cooked yours aswell?

no mine is just chopped into 1 inch lenghts, what do you think?

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated lots - Sunday 28th at 1640hrs

I'd give it a go... I asked the same question and was given that advice, but I'd forgotten it was already cooked

I don't know, I have used frozen blackcurrants in the past for something similar and they worked okay, all I would be worried about is the rhubarb distengrating as it defrosts and possible bugs being transferred in the process. Try a small batch and if it works - go for it.

Regarding forced rhubarb, the results should be sweeter but I tend not to force my crowns as it drains them and makes them pretty useless after awhile.

Funnily enough the flavour, just from ordinary rhubarb, unforced, has echoes of peaches in it.

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

Right, rhubarb is out of the freezer and in a demi john along with 2 litres of Vodka and is now bunged shut. I shall let you know the results in September.

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated lots - Sunday 28th at 1640hrs

Hi! Andrewo and Nicos. If you want to brew with almost anything you first steep the ingrediants. This means you chop them up and pour on boiling water to encourage the flavour into the water. When cool, no more than warm, add the yeast so that the initial ferment can get all the flavour out of the crop (7 days usually, but with a lid on) You then refer to your books to see what your crop requires in order to brew, then if required add some extras to help fermentation.
Carrot wine is fine but it needs tannin, nutrient and citric acid in order to brew well. Chop them and boil, then strain the juice onto the above with 2lb sugar per 4lb carrots. Add yeast and keep air away untill things go quiet. but dont forget to rack it, and rack it again later. This gives you a chance to have a taste and add more sugar if required. Most modern day wine yeasts will stand 15% or more if you feed them with sugar gently.

Hi! Nicos,
I have made carrot wine and it can be surprisingly pleasant and will reach 12+% with care. I reckon it needs fruit added to give it body, recipe posted elsewhere. The philosophy of the brewer is to use whatever you have an excess off to brew with. you could think of it as 'full utillisation'. You can only go wrong if you don't adjust the must ( fruit and veg in water ) to allow the yeast to work. Some items can leave a haze some need acid some need alkali but it only takes a small addition to 'adjust your must'. Apples and pears are a good back up brew. You can add fruit to adjust the flavours of either. Currently brewing apple and blackberry which is going fine.

Blimey, where have I been for the past few months? How glad am I that I've found this site and - obviously - this thread!?!! I'll tell you how glad, this glad!!!!!

Thanks to all for the brewing and alcoholic fruit, veg and specifically rhubarb ideas. Only eat Rhubarb because it's there, because I'd hate to waste crops and deep down I know its probably doing something good for me. Not sure about the crumble topping and ice-cream that go with it mind. You could put cat food with vodka and I'd probably give it a go....hmmmmm, actually I'd like to retract the last statement, I'm sure you'd all like to eat breakfast without that horrible thought in your heads.

But on the line of alcoholic veg, using up spare crops AND horrible thoughts I've been passed a recipe for Marrow Vodka, I know, I know. Not made any yet but being a gal who'll try anything once - and maybe more than once if I like it - I'm going to try it this year.

Marrow Vodka

• Slice the stalk end off the marrow & keep - this will become your lid
• Scoop out the seeds inside & put a small pin hole in the bottom for drainage making sure it goes through to the cavity inside
• Add sugar to half way up the inside of the marrow
• Put the marrow vertically in a stocking or a cut off tights leg with the hole at the bottom and the cut of stalk end at the top.
• Add vodka to top up the marrow making sure you plug the hole with your finger whilst you are doing this
• Put on your 'lid' on and then hang the be-stockinged marrow somewhere cool and dry with a collection container underneath the pin hole
• Make sure you collect the already strained vodka everyday and add this to a sealed bottle or jar so none evaporates from the collection container
• Serve and enjoy as the saying goes, or not as the case may be...

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You can take the girl out of East Anglia but you can't take the East Anglian out of the girl. I can't afford the operation so my feet will always be webbed!

Am going to harvest the first crop of rhubarb this weekend and will start the schnapps One question....does it make a difference to the finished product if you use an expensive vodka compared to say a Tesco's own or Lidl special??

I think on one of the threads andrew said he uses a cheap vodka and it did'nt make any difference.

even better!!!!

ps....discovered 2 of our rhubarb plants are throwing off flowers!!. Have taken a photo so will post it ....probably in the autumn by the time I suss out the Picassa! Must say, ..it's a fantastic site, as all the family photos are so accessable...(even the kids stuff!!! )

Nicos, in another thread I asked Andrewo about this and he said this may be the end of it's life, so I'd cut the flower off to save the rhubarb. Andrewo, please correct em if I got that wrong

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

No, you're right, though it is not the end of the plant it can suck all the energy out of the crown and then the crown never recovers. Take off this flower stalk, the best way to propagate from a crown is to split it or take off one of the rhubarb stalk 'nodules' when they first start to bud - you can cut this off with a sharp knife taking some of the crown and get a new crown this way. If you let it flower, it will just be wasted - and sap the crown of energy. I was always told to take them off.

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

I use cheap vodka, it makes no difference as you are reactivating the fermentation process.

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

Tomorrow is the day then!!!

That's it, we've started the first schnapps!!!

Sterilised everything and put it into a demijohn with an airlock. Keeping it dark and cool and trying to shake it as often as we can. There is a pink quality to it after only a few days and translucent haze.

4 bottles of 70cl cheap vodka - that can get you very strange looks at the checkout of the local supermarket!!!

Will try and keep everyone posted.

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Dave

Do what you enjoy, or learn to enjoy what you do - life is too short.

How vigorously are you shaking yours dave? Mine is in 1 litre jars but wasn't sure whether to give it a gentle schuckle or whapp it around abit. If you know what I mean!

OH was horrified at the amount of Vodka I put in

Jennie
I'm just giving it a fairly gentle swirl but all the rhubarb is moving. It's taken on quite a deep pink colour now and all the sugar has dissolved. The only jar available was a demi john and it's fitted with an airlock as I couldn't get a bung, so I can't give it what for too vigorously.

nearly 4 bottles went in ours..... we have a queue of people willing to try it though.

__________________
Dave

Do what you enjoy, or learn to enjoy what you do - life is too short.