Rhubarb lemonade (dye free pink lemonade)

 We had our first day of real sunlight yesterday and I was so excited I took a peek in my backyard…. to my delight, my rhubarb plant was humungus!  I have all kinds of plans for it, but there is one thing in particular I love to make with rhubarb.   Its unique. Totally delicious.  A  little more out of the box.

Rhubarb lemonade is both sweet, slightly floral and very slightly tart.  It has the most terrific bright pink colour. You can use the leftover drained rhubarb as a tasty vegan  rhubarb cream cheese pie topping, or swirl it into vegan rhubarb ginger ice cream.

This recipe makes more of a syrup, and tastes best when you add water to it after its cooled, to bring it to the consistency you prefer.

You’ll never go back to boring old lemonade after you try this gorgeous ladylike pink beauty :D

Linked to Homestead Barn Hop

As featured in ‘Our Spunky Holiday’ at www.thespunkycoconut.com

Rhubarb Lemonade

Ingredients

• 9 cups roughly chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup honey (or clear /very light light gold agave nectar)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 3 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1. Put all the ingredients in a pot except the lemon juice.  Add 3 cups of water.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer until the rhubarb breaks up and it all looks like green mush.
3. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve.  Be patient, it will take a little time for it all to drain through.  Do it in batches to make it more manageable.  The mush is green but the beautiful juice that drips through is bright pink.
4. Use the leftover rhubarb for a pie topping or swirl it in dairy free ice cream. NOTE: If you use this to top a pie, while the mixture is still hot, gently sprinkle over top it 2 tsp of agar agar powder, and mix as thoroughly as possible.  The agar agar is a vegan seaweed powder and is a gelling agent- so when you freeze the rhubarb on top of a pie or in ice cream, it won’t turn into a solid block of ice. Alternatively, use a package of gelatin if you are not vegan.  You can find agar agar at Rainbow Foods in Ottawa or cheap at Kowloon market.  I’ve also seen agar agar flakes and strands in Chinatown (you may wish to put them through a coffee grinder to pulverize.)
5. Chill the strained syrupy juice. Add lemon juice and water to taste.
6. Beautiful!