Last spring's rhubarb schnapps was one of the great preserving successes of the year, so I have been keen to make some more from the moment the rhubarb in the garden started sprouting

As well as making a jar of the original version this year I have also tried a jar with added ginger. Ginger always works well with rhubarb, rhubarb and ginger jam also being a favorite, so this schnapps should be good with a extra bit of spice.

See here for the rhubarb and ginger schnapps recipe.

Recipe Costs

£6.22 1kg rhubarb (equivalent cost, mine was free)
£0.28 300g granulated sugar
£11.19 1l vodka
£0.50 50 g fresh ginger

£18.19 Total (£11.97 without buying the rhubarb)
£18.19 per litre of schnapps (£11.97 without buying the rhubarb - peach schnapps costs £14.27 at ocado)

I picked the rhubarb on one of the glorious sunny mornings we've been having recently, just the weather for getting inspired to make a drink that's best drunk when outdoors.

One kilogram of rhubarb stalks (a mixture of thick and thin) is chopped up and packed in to a steralised preserving jar.

Sliced fresh ginger is added amongst the layers (best to add it as you're packing the rhubarb in the jar).

300g of granulated sugar, this amount can be varied if you prefer a sweeter or sharper schnapps. You can taste the schnapps after six weeks or so and add more sugar if you wish.

I find a jam funnel helps to avoid spilling sugar everywhere, although obviously it's not a problem if you're working outside.

The jar is topped up with cheap vodka, sealed, and given a good shake, once a day for a few weeks until the sugar is dissolved and then every week until you feel like straining it. The jar should be kept in a cool dark place and the rhubarb should be strained out before drinking. Wait at least six weeks before sampling, but you can leave it for up to six months if you wish.

The liquid will turn a lovely pink colour and is great drunk neat, with sparkling wine or with fizzy water.

Recipe Timings

15 minutes Preparation
6 weeks Standing

Taste Test

This will have to wait a few weeks.

With the sloe gin sitting under the stairs being regularly shaken, thoughts have turned to making other sorts of warming drinks which will be ready for Christmas. Also, as our neighbours have been supplying us with quantities of apples, it would be nice to be able to repay them in a few months time.

The obvious conclusion, especially after the successful making of rhubarb schnapps,  was to try and hunt down an apple schnapps recipe, maybe with the addition of cinnamon for that extra warming taste. I found just what I was looking for on the canadianliving.com website.

See here for the the apple and cinnamon schnapps recipe in more detail.

Recipe Costs

£1.34 1kg bramley apples (equivalent cost, mine was free)
£0.09 100g granulated sugar
£7.89 70cl vodka
£0.17 1 cinnamon stick

£9.49 Total (£8.15 without buying the apples)
£13.55 per litre of schnapps (£11.64 without buying the apples - peach schnapps costs £14.27 at ocado)

The apples were washed and then thinly sliced without peeling or removing the cores. The whole lot is strained out after several months so it all adds to the flavour.

The apples, cinnamon stick and sugar are put into jars which have an airtight seal, I find Le Parfait jars ideal for this.

I used two 1 litre jars for this, as it leaves a bit of room for shaking the contents every now and again. After mixing well to dissolve the sugar the jars are put in a cool dark place for a minimum of 3 weeks, preferably two months. The contents will then be strained off through muslin, pressing the apples to release all the liquid.
Should be ready just in time for Christmas.

Recipe Timings

15 mins preparation
2 months sitting

Taste Test

Compared to something like sloe gin, this is very sweet and smooth with the cinnamon adding a warming afterglow. Definitely one to make if you have a glut of apples.

 

After making Rhubarb Schnapps six weeks ago (see here for the rhubarb schnapps recipe) I've been popping under the stairs every few days and giving it a good shake. It's been great to watch the colour change, and finally yesterday I got to strain it and see it in all it's glory.

Straining was easy enough, a piece of muslin in a sieve worked well, although you can get muslin bags for this purpose. I just need to think of something to do with all that vodka infused rhubarb. Not sure if it would work in a crumble, maybe an alcoholic smoothie.

The first taste test was the neat drink (in a small amount), and it was not as rough as I'd expected given the quality of the vodka used. Actually the rhubarb taste was much stronger than I'd hoped for, and the sweetness wasn't overpowering.

The second taste test was a cocktail of one shot of schnapps and one of elderflower cordial topped up with sparkling water. This was a much more of a refreshing drink, with a wonderful summery taste.

I had a hunt around for cocktail recipes using rhubarb schnapps, but perhaps not surprisingly I couldn't find any. There were plenty using either rhubarb puree or peach schnapps, so  may be doing a little experimenting over the next few months, first off will be rhubarb schnapps topped up with sparkling white wine, a sort of rhubarb Bellini.

See here for the rhubarb schnapps recipe.

Recipe Costs

£6.22 1kg rhubarb (equivalent cost, mine was free)
£0.28 300g granulated sugar
£11.19 1l vodka

£17.69 Total (£11.47without buying the rhubarb)
£17.69 per litre of schnapps (£11.47 without buying the rhubarb - peach schnapps costs £14.27 at ocado)

The method couldn't really be easier, it took me longer to pick and trim the rhubarb into the compost heap than it did to follow the instructions.

I raided the cupboard and turfed some pasta out from a large preserving jar, then stuffed it full of the chopped rhubarb. Raw rhubarb has an indescribably lovely fresh smell which I am hoping will come through in the finished drink.

Sugar in next, I had to temporarily take out some of the rhubarb so I could fit it in, hence the above picture looking a bit like one of those coloured sand in a jar things you can get at the seaside.

I managed to top the jar up with about 850ml of the cheapest vodka I could find, I guess I'll mix the remainder in once the recommended six weeks is up and I'm bottling it.
By all accounts this will turn out to be a lovely pink colour and taste just perfect mixed with sparkling white wine. I'll watch it carefully as it has to be regularly removed from it's hiding place under the stairs and given a good shake.

Recipe Timings

15 minutes Preparation
6 weeks Standing

Taste Test

This has gone down very well.
Very drinkable on it's own, sweet with a good taste of rhubarb. Also worked well mixed with sparkling white wine, adding a subtle yet distinctive flavour.