6 easy recipes for making rhubarb wine at home
For some reason, it is believed that only a good and healthy salad can be obtained from rhubarb, the maximum is to make juice from it for those who have decided to eat right. In fact, this product is universal, it is pleasant not only fresh, boiled and baked. Even a novice winemaker can repeat rhubarb wine at home according to a simple recipe. In this case, no special ingredients are needed.
The nuances of making a drink
Rhubarb wine turns out to be quite unusual not only in its taste, but also in color. An alcoholic drink comes out of a herbaceous plant in a light pink tone, with a slight sourness and sweetness. The aroma is quite subtle and barely perceptible, so it is used either as a light table or added as a base to others.
Orange, lemons and other fruits will help to make the taste of rhubarb wine immediately more intense and interesting.
The most important point is to choose the right rhubarb. Only this is taken:
- not overripe;
- red tint;
- juicy, not dryish;
- with thick petioles.
Dishes are selected that will not oxidize when in contact with a drink. Glass, made of high-quality plastic or enameled will do. It is strictly prohibited to use metal or aluminum. The rhubarb does not peel off, as it contains tannins necessary for the start of fermentation. Heat treatment is mandatory, as it not only removes the specific herbaceous smell, but also accompanies the full disclosure of the plant's taste.
Many recipes use special wine yeast. You can buy them at a wine shop.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that they take not boiled water for making the leaven.
Raw materials are prepared in a certain way. First, the sheets are separated from the cuttings (the first are thrown away). The petioles are immersed in hot water, washed thoroughly. Then they are laid out on a towel or napkins on the table. After complete drying, cut into small cubes.
How to make rhubarb wine at home
Use one of the proven recipes.
A simple recipe without yeast
The simplest recipe can be repeated by a novice winemaker. You will need to take:
- 3 kilograms of rhubarb;
- a pound of granulated sugar per liter of the resulting plant juice;
- 100 grams of unwashed light raisins.
The raisins are poured with a small amount of warm water, a couple of tablespoons of sugar are added and taken to a warm place. This is necessary in order to obtain the initial leaven.
Rhubarb is prepared as described above, then the stalks are passed through a juicer. The juice is boiled for 5 minutes, then the resulting sourdough and the rest of the sugar are added. Leave for three days in a warm room.
After that, the liquid is poured into a bottle, a water seal is placed, or an ordinary rubber glove is placed. The precipitate is drained only after a few days. Then you can add a little more sugar if the composition does not seem sweet. Leave until the end of fermentation (usually it takes up to a month). The wine should mature in the cellar at low temperatures.
Wine without herbal flavor
If you make wine according to the previous algorithm, then the herbal taste will remain. Some do not feel it at all, or they like it, but for others, such a nuance may cause dislike. Therefore, another special recipe is used to get rid of a specific aroma. You will need to take:
- 4 kilograms of rhubarb stem;
- 800 milliliters of water;
- 3 cups granulated sugar.
Boil rhubarb for at least 30 minutes. Half of the granulated sugar is added to half of the broth, the second part is placed in the refrigerator. The first is left to ferment according to the standard algorithm (as for ordinary grape wine). After five days, the first part will produce a leaven with a pronounced sour smell. Sugar syrup is made from the second part with the rest of the sugar. Mix both parts and leave to ferment in a large sealed bottle.
Lemon option
Lemon alcoholic drink will decorate the festive table. But at the same time, it is completely easy to do. You will need to take:
- 2 kilograms of rhubarb;
- 3 liters of water;
- 2 large lemons;
- 1 package of special yeast for homemade wine;
- 4 cups of sugar.
Rhubarb is finely chopped, poured with water, left for 4 days. After this time, the plant is washed, put back in the same water. Boil for half an hour, then pour in the juice of two lemons and sugar. Everything is thoroughly mixed and sent to ferment in a large bottle until the wine is fully ripe.
With oranges
The wine prepared according to the previous recipe turns out to be more sour than citrus. If you want to feel the bright and rich aroma of overseas fruits, then it is better to choose a recipe with oranges. You will need to take:
- 4 kilos of rhubarb;
- 2 kilos of oranges;
- 700 grams of sugar;
- a bag of yeast;
- liter of clean water.
Cooking algorithm as in the previous recipe. The juice of the oranges is poured into a large bottle before direct pouring of the composition. Put a bolt or rubber glove. Wine must be fermented already in jars in a dry, cool cellar for at least three months.
You can drain the sediment - it will become more ash-colored.
By leaps and bounds
Yeast wine is obtained in any case. To prepare it, you will need to take the following ingredients:
- a pound of rhubarb jam;
- 1 kilogram of fresh petioles;
- 25 grams of wine yeast;
- 3 liters of water;
- 900 grams of granulated sugar.
Jam and stems softened in boiling water are combined with each other, pounded with sugar to make juice. Yeast is added and left to stand for four days. Then they act according to the standard algorithm.
With raspberries
The peculiarity of this recipe is that the sourdough is made without raspberries. It is ordinary, raspberry juice is added at the last stage, when the composition is poured into a bottle. For a kilo of rhubarb, you need to take 400 grams of fresh raspberries.
How to store the finished product
It is necessary to store an alcoholic drink made from rhubarb only in a dry, cool room, out of direct sunlight (otherwise it will change its color, become unclear). Shelf life juice - up to two years.
