More rhubarb than you can possibly eat? Make this incredibly refreshing, tart rhubarb lemonade ! Only 3 ingredients, and no lemons! So, it’s actually a “rhubarb ade “.
I also show you how to make it even quicker with a no cook method – which in fact is my favorite version!
- Why I love this rhubarb lemonade more than classic lemonade!
- Why no lemons?
- Two ways to make rhubarb lemonade (or “rhubarbade”)
- Ingredients you’ll need
- How to make rhubarb lemonade
- Recipe tips
- Recipe variations
- Storage tips
- Frequently asked questions
Here’s a potentially unpopular opinion – I love this rhubarb lemonade a whole lot more than regular lemonade!
Hear me out though… this drink is even better than it sounds, and it grows on you even more over time! It’s the perfect blend of tart, sweet, and refreshing ! It couldn’t be easier to make, and that beautiful pink color seals the deal for me. Like homemade pink lemonade, but even better.
We are currently renovating our kitchen, so cooking and creating recipes is that much harder in the make-shift kitchen space in our basement. But this rhubarb lemonade is definitely taking the edge off, these days!
Why I love this rhubarb lemonade more than classic lemonade!
- Technically, this is a rhubarb ade because this recipe uses NO lemons !
- Only uses 3 ingredients (including water).
- I test two methods (cooked vs uncooked) of making rhubarb lemonade, and both are equally easy (but I do have a clear favorite).
- It’s so refreshing and just the perfect summer drink . It’s not overly sweet, and has a lovely fresh tartness to it. It actually quenches my thirst, rather than making me crave more water (like some summer fruit drinks tend to do).
- You can easily add other fruits to make different versions.
- An easy way to use up rhubarb , and can be enjoyed throughout the year because you can use frozen rhubarb too .
My backyard rhubarb patch
We moved into our current house a little over two years ago, and I have since transformed half of my backyard into a vegetable and fruit patch!
Two types of plants that I wanted in my garden were strawberries and rhubarb, particularly because these two produce early in the season. Rhubarb, especially so. I’m happy to say that I have both now, and SO MUCH more too!
My first rhubarb didn’t survive, however. I managed to kill the plant by covering it even AFTER it survived a Canadian winter. But now, I’ve got TWO rhubarb plants in my garden, and they are absolutely thriving. One of them has thick red stalks, and the other has slimmer red tinged stalks. I’m excited for both!
I really enjoy making rhubarb crumble bars , strawberry rhubarb pie , and even rhubarb margarita throughout spring & summer. But I’m even more stoked now that I can make stuff like this rhubarb lemonade with my very own home-grown rhubarb.
Why no lemons?
I’m a BIG fan of anything citrus. I ALWAYS have lemons and limes in the fridge. I love using homemade lemon curd to make summer favorites like these lemon cheesecake bars and lemon raspberry cake .
The fridge is also stocked up with citrus drinks like this lemon syrup , apple lemonade , ginger limeade etc. throughout summer and fall.
But the thing with lemonade and limeade is that you need to add quite a bit of sugar when making them . I wanted another refreshing, tart drink that didn’t need as much sugar, was quick and easy to make, and would be there to quench my thirst all summer long!
I really liked this rhubarb syrup I shared last year, so I wanted to make a rhubarb-based drink. The first time I made this, I used lemon juice, but realized that the lemon overpowered the tartness and flavor of rhubarb. So, leaving out the lemon was a no-brainer and made the drink that much more interesting and delicious!
Two ways to make rhubarb lemonade (or “rhubarbade”)
Some recipes cook the rhubarb to make a syrup, or a cooked drink base. But I also make the rhubarb lemonade without cooking, and by only blending it.
No cook method using a blender
Simply add the ingredients into a high powered blender and blend. Then strain. You can serve the drink immediately, especially if you substitute some of the water with ice to make it instantly chilled. This is a no cook method .
This is my preferred method, purely because of the flavor and how quick it is to make.
PROS
- Very easy and super quick!
- Once blended, you can strain it immediately because it’s not hot to be squeezed through a strainer / nut milk bag.
- Since it’s at room temperature or cold already, you can drink or serve it immediately, and not wait for it to cool down.
- Very refreshing, as the rhubarb flavor is more fresh (i.e. not cooked).
- Does not need to be reconstituted with water.
- There’s some astringency to the flavor, because the rhubarb is fresh / raw – which adds to the flavor!
CONS
- Need a good blender to blend the rhubarb. The better you blend it, the more flavor you can draw out.
- The drink can be slightly cloudy. And there will be some sediment that settles on the bottom. Personally, none of this bothers me because I much prefer the flavor here.
- Since the base cannot be concentrated, you cannot use it as a syrup / concentrate to make other drinks.
Cooked method
You add the ingredients into a pot and simmer until the rhubarb is REALLY softened. Then the mixture is strained and chilled before using.
This method is excellent if you want to make a soda (by adding sparkling water later), or to add other flavors.
PROS
- Some may prefer to heat the rhubarb to make it “sanitary”. Personally, this isn’t an issue for me. We don’t normally cook store-bought berries and fruits before eating. But the cooking option lets you heat the rhubarb and remove the “raw flavor”, if you prefer.
- This method allows you to concentrate the rhubarb flavor as the water evaporates.
- The more this is concentrated, the easier you can use it as a flavoring syrup to add other flavors for different types of drinks.
- You will not need a blender to blend the mixture.
- The resulting drink is clearer (not cloudy), and has no sediment.
CONS
- Cooking the syrup removes the raw flavor, which isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but I love the naturally astringent flavor of rhubarb in the no cook version.
- The drink has a more syrup-like texture because it’s cooked.
- While it’s very easy to make, it isn’t quick. The syrup must be heated, then cooled down, then strained before serving it.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Rhubarb stalks (or frozen rhubarb) – You can use any rhubarb you like. The color of the rhubarb doesn’t dictate the “ripeness” – it’s just dependent on the variety. The flavor of the rhubarb lemonade will be same whether you use green rhubarb stalks or red rhubarb stalks. The only difference will be the color. It will range from pink to slightly green tinged.
- Sugar – I use regular white sugar, and haven’t used any other sweetener options. White sugar doesn’t add any extra flavor or change the color of the rhubarb lemonade. You can use other sweeteners, but depending on the substitute you use, the color and / or flavor may change.
- Water – To help blend or cook the rhubarb.
Optional ingredients (that I like to add)
Ginger – I LOVE the subtle spice and warmth you get from the ginger. Which is why I also really enjoy this ginger limeade drink . That’s why the ginger is visible in the step by step photos here. But it’s definitely not required. Another option to add a little heat is black pepper (like in this black pepper margarita ).
Equipment
- A high powered blender (for the no-cook method).
- A nut milk bag or cheesecloth (fine mesh) – to strain and squeeze the pulp (for both methods).
How to make rhubarb lemonade
Step 1 – Prep the rhubarb
The first step is to wash and trim the rhubarb, especially if you’re using home-grown rhubarb (image 1) . Since we only need the stalk, make sure to cut off the leaves and add them to your compost bin. The leaves contain oxalic acid, and is poisonous to humans , but the stalks are completely safe.
Trim off the bottom edge to remove soil and wash the stalks well. Then slice the stalks (image 2) . Doesn’t have to be even, since this will be blended (or cooked).
For this recipe, I slice the rhubarb and measure the weight of 1 cup of sliced rhubarb. This came out to be roughly 125 g. Depending on how small the rhubarb is chopped / sliced and how firmly it’s packed into a measuring cup, the weight may vary.
The formula for making rhubarb lemonade is,
- 125 g / 1 cup sliced rhubarb
- Approximately 25 g / 2 tbsp sugar (adjust to your liking)
- 180 g / ¾ cup water
Step 2a – No cook method
Add all the ingredients into the blender (image 3) . If you want to add any other flavors, you can add them into the blender as well.
Here, I add ginger. But I’ve also added strawberries, raspberries, and herbs like mint or thyme to the mix as well. To chill the drink immediately, you can substitute some of the water with ice cubes.
Blend for a few minutes until the rhubarb is completely blended (images 4 – 5) . Once blended, remove the blender jug to strain the mixture.
Step 2b – Cooked method
Add all the ingredients into a pot (image 6 – 7) and cook over medium heat with the lid on to bring the water to a boil. This includes any other additions as well.
With the pot lid ajar, let the rhubarb simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The rhubarb will soften completely, and start to break down (image 8) . Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool down until it’s only slightly warm.
The longer you let this simmer, the more concentrated the rhubarb lemonade will be, as the water will evaporate.
Step 3 – Strain
Whether you cooked or blended the mixture, the rhubarb – water mixture must be strained.
Place the nut milk bag in a large jug or container (in a sieve, if that’s easier) (image 9) , and pour the rhubarb – water mixture into the nut milk bag (image 10) . Let the liquid strain out and squeeze the pulp with CLEAN hands to remove all the liquid from the rhubarb pulp (image 11) . Pour the rhubarbade into a jug or bottle (image 12) .
Step 4 – Chill
- No cook rhubarb lemonade – Once the rhubarb lemonade is strained, it’s ready to be enjoyed immediately!
- Cooked rhubarb lemonade – If the mixture is still warm, you will need to add extra ice cubes, OR chill the mixture overnight before serving. Taste and add extra water to get the flavor you like.
Step 5 – Serve
Serve the drink in a glass with extra ice. Garnish with rhubarb if you like.
Rhubarb for garnish
The rhubarb ribbons in the pictures are super easy to make! Use a vegetable peeler to peel thin ribbons along the side of a rhubarb stalk.
Even pressure will allow you to create evenly thick ribbons. Then place the rhubarb ribbons in a bowl / jug with ice and water. The iced water will give the ribbons structure.
Before serving, take a rhubarb ribbon out of ice water and curl it around your finger to create a proper ribbon to place on top of the drink. OR, use 1 – 2 rhubarb ribbons to line the inside of a serving glass and put in ice to keep the ribbons in place.
Recipe tips
- The color of the rhubarb stalks has NO effect on the flavor of the rhubarb lemonade. It’ll only impact the final color. The more red the stalks are, the more pink the rhubarbade will be. Green stalks will result in an almost colorless, or slightly green-tinged rhubarb drink.
- If you only have green rhubarb stalks, and want your rhubarb lemonade to be pink, you can add 1 raspberry or strawberry to add pink color . The more berries you add, the more berry flavor you’ll impart to the rhubarb lemonade.
- I like to slice the rhubarb so that it blends better and cooks faster.
- You can add other flavors to your rhubarb lemonade to suit your taste ! This includes actual lemon juice too. But don’t let the lemon overpower the rhubarb flavor.
- You can add more sugar, if you like it sweeter . My preference is for a more tart rhubarb lemonade with rhubarb flavor being the star!
- Rhubarb lemonade made with a blender can sometimes be a little cloudy, and have sediment that settles at the bottom . I don’t have an issue with this, and I simply shake the bottle well before pouring the drink. However, you can remove the sediment by letting it settle to the bottom, and then carefully pouring the top part of the lemonade leaving the liquid with the sediment behind. This portion can also be placed in a sieve lined with coffee filter and allowed to slowly drip through to remove the sediment. This takes time of course, so I just don’t bother.
Recipe variations
- Strawberry rhubarb lemonade – Add a few strawberries with the rhubarb. Reduce the sugar to compensate for the sweetness from the strawberries.
- Rhubarb ginger lemonade – Add some fresh ginger to the ingredients. The more ginger you add, the stronger the ginger flavor will be.
- Mint rhubarb lemonade – Add fresh mint leaves with the ingredients. You can also add mint flavoring. If you prefer, muddle mint in individual glasses, and top it with the rhubarbade to get individual servings of mint rhubarbade.
- Regular rhubarb lemonade – Add the juice of 1 lemon (about 60 mL). Increase the sugar to your liking.
- Rhubarb lemonade cocktail – You can use my rhubarb syrup recipe to make any cocktail in place of simple syrup. OR, add a shot of vodka or tequila to a glass of this rhubarb lemonade for a simple rhubarb cocktail.
- Fizzy rhubarb lemonade – If you cook the rhubarb to a rhubarb lemonade concentrate consistency, then you can add soda water to make it fizzy. If you own a drinkmate soda maker, you can ACTUALLY carbonate the rhubarb lemonade directly too. Unlike soda stream, drinkmate lets you carbonate other fruit juices.
Storage tips
This rhubarbade will keep in the fridge for about 1 week . Make sure to use clean hands to squeeze the pulp to reduce contamination, as that will help extend the life of the drink.
Do I have to use fresh rhubarb to make this drink?
You can use fresh rhubarb or frozen rhubarb for this recipe! Frozen rhubarb can be blended directly with water, and does not need to be thawed out either.
Can I use lemons to make this?
You can add lemon juice if you like. I prefer the flavor of this WITHOUT lemons, but you can add lemon juice to your taste. If you add too much though, it’ll overpower the flavor of rhubarb. If you add lemon juice, you may need to increase the amount of sugar as well.
Can I reduce the sugar content in this recipe?
If you want to, you can! You can leave out the sugar altogether if you prefer as well, but the drink will be very tart! Add only as much sugar as you like.
How to serve this rhubarb lemonade?
This rhubarb lemonade can be served just as is after chilling. You can add some ice cubes as well, but I prefer not to let it dilute too much as the ice melts.
Recipe
Rhubarb Lemonade (3 Ingredients)
Equipment
- Blender for no-cook method only
- Nut milk bag
- Jug or container that can hold about 6 cups / 1500 mL
- Sieve
Ingredients
- 500 g rhubarb stalks 4 cups (washed, trimmed, and sliced)
- 100 g white sugar ½ cup (adjust to your liking)
- 720 mL water 3 cups (see recipe notes)
- 10 g ginger 1 - 1 inch piece (optional)
Instructions
No cook method
- For a large batch of rhubarbade / rhubarb lemonade, a high powered blender will work better. If you have a smaller blender, then I recommend working in smaller batches.
- Place the sliced rhubarb, sugar, and water in the blender. If you’re adding ginger or any other additions, these can be added at the same time too. 500 g rhubarb stalks, 100 g white sugar, 720 mL water, 10 g ginger
- Blend the mixture for about 1 - 3 minutes, or until the rhubarb is blended really well. There shouldn’t be any large chunks of rhubarb left.
- Place a nut milk bag in a large sieve, and place this over a large jug or container.
- Pour the blended rhubarb mixture into the nut milk bag, and allow the liquid to strain into the jug / container. With clean hands, squeeze the pulp in the nut milk bag to get as much liquid in the pulp out into the jug. Discard the pulp.
- Pour the rhubarb lemonade into a bottle or jug. You should get about 1250 mL / 5 cups. Serve immediately with ice, or place in the fridge for up to a week. Make sure to shake the bottle well before serving.
Cooked method
- Place the rhubarb, sugar, and water in a saucepan. You can also add the ginger, or any other additions at this point as well. 500 g rhubarb stalks, 100 g white sugar, 720 mL water, 10 g ginger
- With the lid on, heat the mixture over medium heat to bring the water to a boil.
- When the water is boiling, keep the pot lid ajar and lower the heat to low, so that the mixture is simmering gently.
- Simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until the rhubarb has softened and is starting to break down in the liquid.
- Remove from the heat, and let the mixture cool down to room temperature, or until it’s cooled down enough to be handled.
- Place a nut milk bag in a large sieve, and place this over a large jug or container.
- Pour the cooled down cooked rhubarb mixture and allow the liquid to strain through. Using clean hands, squeeze the pulp to get as much of the liquid out as possible. Discard the pulp after.
- Pour the rhubarb lemonade into a bottle or jug. Add enough water to make up to 1250 mL / 5 cups. If the mixture is still warm, keep it in the fridge to chill.
- Serve over ice in a glass, or straight from the fridge without ice.
Notes
Note about the water
Nutrition
Recipe from The Flavor Bender by Dini Kodippili
Rhubarb Lemonade (3 Ingredients) https://www.theflavorbender.com/3-ingredient-rhubarb-lemonade/
