Rhubarb Lemonade
When you hit that time of year that a cool refreshing drink is all you can think about, why not try something a little different like this recipe for Rhubarb Lemonade? Two normally tart ingredients come together and make a lovely beverage that is surprisingly sweet, but not too sweet. In this post, I will show you how to make a drink that is refreshingly different that you will want to make every year!
Homemade Rhubarb Lemonade
One of the things I love about the first few weeks of Farmers Market Season is the fresh stalks of rhubarb that are stacked high next to the rest of the early Spring produce. I am always looking for ways to utilize it other than pies. Why not lemonade?
Here in the Pacific Northwest where I live, rhubarb is a very popular ingredient. It is everywhere! I love cooking with it, and if you have never worked with it before I am happy to show you this very tasty way to use it! If you have never visited this site before, I encourage you to visit the about page to see how this blog can help you cook with fresh ingredients and in season produce.
This is a recipe that I make every year (my daughter asks for it as soon as rhubarb is available) and I really hope you love it too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This is a really refreshing and unique twist on lemonade that has been popular with everyone I have served it to, so if you are looking for something to change things up, this is the recipe for you!
- You will find this to be perfect on a warm Spring day, as the weather starts to heat up and the Lilacs are blooming. It really makes me feel like Winter is finally over.
- The rhubarb adds a beautiful color to the lemonade, which is great for showcasing any lovely glassware you might have!
- You may think rhubarb is only for desserts like these hand pies, but it’s magic in drinks too!
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe
Rhubarb- You’ll want to look for rhubarb that is firm and not turning brown. It can vary in shades of pink from light to almost fuchsia, and there may be streaks of green throughout the stalks.
Try to use your rhubarb within a day or two of getting it home. Wait any longer than that, and it tends to start looking sad and wilted.
Lemon Juice- Do yourself a favor here and use fresh squeezed lemon juice. The flavor is so much better! You’ll need the juice from about 6 or 7 lemons depending on size. Just keep juicing until you reach the amount of juice needed. You may need around 8 lemons if they are smaller.
Granulated Sugar- I used plain old granulated white sugar for this recipe. You could try using turbinado sugar if you like.
I have not tested this recipe using sugar alternatives such as Stevia or Monkfruit, but any substitute you can cook with should work here, just be sure to taste the puree as it cooks to ensure it’s sweet enough.
Water- There is no need to heat the water first, room temperature water is just fine.
If you want this to be extra cold, you can even refrigerate your pitcher ahead of time with the amount of water you’ll need so it’s nice and chilled.
Rhubarb Puree
You may be wondering how this recipe will turn out using a puree right in the drink in such a large quantity, and I can assure you it is great! You’ll also find me using the puree method in my blueberry lavender lemonade.
I like using a puree rather than a syrup made with rhubarb juice because I want all the flavor I can get from the rhubarb. Once it is stirred into the lemonade the puree becomes diluted, so it will not “thicken” the lemonade at all.
This rhubarb puree recipe is best made a few hours or even a day ahead so that it can refrigerate. I love the make ahead part, because once you are ready to make the lemonade itself it’s just a matter of juicing the lemons, adding the water and finishing it off with the puree and giving everything a nice stir.
Be sure to check out the recipe notes for more tips on how to make rhubarb puree!
How To Make Rhubarb Lemonade
Here are a few basic steps, but be sure to go to the recipe card for full instructions and tips!
- Make the Rhubarb Puree.
- Juice the lemons.
- Add your lemon juice to a large pitcher with a lid.
- Next, add the chilled rhubarb puree to the pitcher and stir well.
After making the puree and juicing the lemons it’s as easy as mixing everything up in a large pitcher.
How To Serve Rhubarb Lemonade
I love a big glass of this with a slice or wedge of lemon in the glass. It’s great with brunch! My favorite way to serve this is on a picnic with Curried Chicken Salad with Coconut, and Farro Salad with Spring Vegetables.
Looking for other drinks to try? Check out my Appetizers and Drinks category for more great recipes. If you’d like additional ideas for other dishes to serve with your Rhubarb Lemonade, head over to Side Dishes and Salads or Main Dishes and Sandwiches.
This will keep refrigerated for about 5 days, but it probably won’t last that long because it is that good. It’s important to note that this should be stirred a bit before each pour, as the rhubarb puree will settle to the bottom of the pitcher. It only takes a few stirs to combine everything before pouring.
If you tried this Rhubarb Lemonade recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Just leave a rating or comment below, or take a picture and tag me @thecoppertable on Instagram.
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Rhubarb Lemonade
This easy beverage showcases rhubarb in a whole new way. It's sweet with a slight tartness and lots of rhubarb flavor!
- Total Time: 8 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Rhubarb Puree
- 2 1/4 cups chopped Rhubarb (about 2-3 large stalks)
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
For the Lemonade
- 1 1/2 cups Lemon Juice (about 6-8 lemons)
- 7 cups cold Water
Instructions
- Cut the rhubarb into clices a half inch thick. If you have never cooked with rhubarb before, it is much like cutting celery.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the chopped rhubarb and sugar until the rhubarb becomes soft and the sugar has dissolved, about 15 minutes.
- Use a stick blender to break up the rhubarb into a smooth puree. Alternatively, you can place the mixture in a blender and puree it.
- Place the puree in an airtight container and refrigerate to cool for several hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to make the lemonade after the puree has cooled, juice the lemons and add them to a gallon pitcher. Add the water and the rhubarb puree and stir well. If your pitcher has an airtight lid, giving it a good shake also helps combine the ingredients.
Notes
Be sure to stir or shake the pitcher of lemonade before serving.
Try to use fresh squeezed lemon juice if possible. You may need around 8 lemons to reach the required amount of juice if your lemons are smaller.
The rhubarb puree is better made ahead and chilled for a few hours before using.
You can also refrigerate your pitcher of water in advance so it is nice and cold when you make the lemonade.
If a potato masher is not enough to help you break down the rhubarb as it cooks, an immersion blender will do the job nicely.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you could pour the rhubarb puree into a blender and pulse until smooth.
You will want this to be on the sweeter side, because not only is rhubarb tart, but so are the lemons. The finished drink will be sweet while still having a little tartness to it. If you want it sweeter, by all means add a little extra sugar to the puree as it cooks.
I advise juicing the lemons as you are assembling this, rather than doing this part ahead of time. This way, the lemon juice is nice and fresh.
There is no need to add any sugar to the lemon juice and water, because all the sweetening you need is in the puree.
I don’t recommend using store bought lemon juice for this recipe, it just isn’t as fresh as bottled.
I suggest using a pitcher with a good tight lid that allows you to shake it up. Shaking really helps combine the rhubarb puree with the water and lemon juice.
This recipe is easily doubled. As the recipe is written, it yields about a half gallon and you can easily make more.
If you want to try something a little different with this recipe, you could make strawberry rhubarb lemonade by switching out half the rhubarb for an equal amount of strawberries and carry on making the recipe as normal!
When serving, don't forget to give the lemonade a good stir before pouring. If it has been sitting in the fridge, the puree will settle at the bottom and this reincorporates the puree.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizers and Drinks
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 39
- Sodium: 21
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 0
This sounds so refreshing. I love rhubarb but it’s hard to find good rhubarb where I live but I buy it anyway when I see it. I love it in pie and raw with a little salt on it (how we ate it as kids). But I’ll have to give this recipe a try.
This sounds so refreshing! I am happy to feature your post tomorrow at The Crazy Little Lovebirds link party #32. I hope you can join us again. 🙂
Amy, this sounds unique and oh so refreshing. Something I’d like to try.
Visiting today from Crazy Little Love Birds 31 #5&6
Printing and pinning this!! Looks delicious!! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party – have a fabulous week ahead –
One of my recipe features for this week’s SSPS, thank you for sharing with us!
Ooo yum! Rhubarb is one of my favourite things. Thanks for sharing with us at Handmade Monday 🙂
This looks and sounds so delicious! I haven’t had anything with rhubarb since I was a kid; our neighbor grew rhubarb and we were allowed to go pick it fresh out of the garden whenever we wanted.
I love this. It looks so refreshing for a summer’s day. Plus, I grow my own rhubarb so here goes!
I don’t think I’ve ever tried rhubarb lemonade! We had rhubarb growing in my backyard when I was a kid, and I loved just eating it raw! Pinning. Visiting from Love Your Creativity linkup.
This looks so summery and refreshing!
Thanks for joining in with #CookBlogShare
Thank you Helen! There are so many lovely recipes in this week’s post!