This rhubarb syrup is simple, delicious, and refreshing! And here I show you how to make it even better by adding more flavor. That’s why I love this peppercorn infused rhubarb syrup! Adds even more flavor to the tart and sweet syrup that will make the BEST drinks and cocktails!
How to make an incredibly flavorful rhubarb syrup and how to infuse it with even more flavor to make delicious drinks throughout the year!
I love making flavored syrups at home. They’re so versatile because you can flavor many different types of beverages from cocktails to mocktails, and sodas to other types of drinks. This syrup can also be made to flavor other types of dessert too.
Since rhubarb season is so fleeting here in Canada, I like to maximize the use of them while I can. These easy rhubarb crumble bars are a favorite every summer. The great thing about this rhubarb syrup recipe however is that you can make this with frozen rhubarb too. Which means you can save and savor this delicious syrup throughout the year (not just during rhubarb season)!
Why I love this recipe
- It can be made with fresh or frozen rhubarb.
- Very adaptable recipe.
- Not sickeningly sweet. Maintains the tart flavor of rhubarb, while adding a lovely sweetness.
- I even share how to get a pale pink color in your syrup even if you don’t have red rhubarb.
- Perfect rhubarb simple syrup for cocktails, or to use as a soda syrup to flavor your soda!
- I show you how to make your rhubarb syrup taste even better by adding other spices and herbs, so you can make more exciting drinks!
How to choose rhubarb
A lot of people opt to use rhubarb that is bright red in color because of the misconception that red rhubarb is better than green rhubarb. But that’s not true. Both the red and green rhubarb have the same tart flavor that is characteristic of rhubarb.
The difference is just the color of the stalk. So don’t be afraid to use the green stalks to make this syrup too! The flavor will be just as amazing. If you really do miss the blush pink color that red rhubarb adds to the syrup, I’ll show you how to add it with a nifty cheat’s trick.
While the rhubarb stalk is perfectly edible, the leaves are toxic to both humans and our pets if ingested in higher amounts! So make sure to keep those away!
You can make this syrup using the entire stalk. Just remember to cut out any severely discolored or extremely bruised parts of the rhubarb.
If there is a little discoloration or bruising, that’s OK. You can even make this with rhubarb that is a little dried out as well.
Ingredients to make this syrup
The base rhubarb syrup recipe only requires 3 ingredients.
- Rhubarb
- Water
- Sugar
However, I like to make spiced rhubarb syrup with the addition of peppercorns. I like to add,
- Pink peppercorns
- Black peppercorns
Pink peppercorns have a wonderful floral spice, while the black peppercorns impart a smoky spice flavor. The combination of these two peppercorns adds a hint of floral and smoky notes to the tart and sweet rhubarb syrup!
Other ingredient options to make spiced rhubarb syrup
Red chili – Red jalapeno peppers will infuse a mild spiciness and flavor to the syrup, while birds eye chili or scotch bonnet chili may add a very strong spice kick. The red color will also add a hint of pink to the syrup.
Green chili – As with the red chilis, green jalapeno will add a mild level of spice. Going for birds eye chili or scotch bonnet will make the spiciness much higher. In addition, green chilis have a more earthy flavor than red chilis, and may dull the pink color due to the green pigment.
How to make rhubarb simple syrup
Extracting rhubarb juice
The first step of making this syrup is to extract the juice from the rhubarb. This is surprisingly simple and you do not need a juicer to extract the juice. There are two different methods to do this.
Using a juicer
If you’re lucky enough to own a juicer, this process is easier. Since rhubarb has very long fibers running the length of the stalk, it’s very important to cut the stalk into 1 – 2 inch pieces before putting it through the juicer. This will produce 100% rhubarb juice.
Using a blender
You can use a blender to extract the juice as well. This process is a little longer but still easy.
Cut the rhubarb stalks into smaller pieces and place them in the blender. Add about 1/4 cup of water. Blend until the all the rhubarb is blended into pulp, and you have a lumpy rhubarb mixture.
Pass this mixture through a nut milk bag or cheese cloth. Squeeze the pulp inside the cloth to squeeze out as much of the liquid from the pulp. Since the rhubarb is very fibrous, it’ll be easy to squeeze out all the juice and to be left with dry rhubarb fiber.
Although you have to add water to the rhubarb when blending it, it won’t affect the final syrup. This extra water can be added to the juice extracted from the juicer as well, or you can cook the syrup a little longer to let that extra water evaporate.
Optional additions to the syrup
A simple rhubarb syrup only requires the juice that you extracted, plus sugar. But if you want to elevate the flavor of your syrup, you can add some spices that complement the flavor of the rhubarb.
To add a subtle floral and smoky spice to the syrup, I add a generous amount of pink peppercorns and black peppercorns.
For a subtle infusion – Add the spices whole.
For a more intense infusion – Crush whole spices before adding them to the syrup. This will extract more of the oils in the peppercorns.
You can also add fresh, sliced chili into the syrup.
Cooking the rhubarb syrup
Place the rhubarb juice and sugar in a small saucepan. If you’re adding the peppercorns (like I do), crush them and add to the same mixture. Heat this mixture over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, and the syrup comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the mixture for about 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and allow the syrup to cool down to room temperature WITH the peppercorns in the syrup (if using).
After it has cooled down, taste the rhubarb syrup and see if the peppercorn flavor in the syrup is to your taste. I like for this flavor to be a little strong because it’ll get diluted in drinks, so I let the syrup infuse in the fridge overnight.
Once the peppercorns have infused into the rhubarb syrup, strain the mixture and store the syrup in a glass bottle or jar, with an air-tight lid. Refrigerate it until you need it for up to two weeks.
If you did not add any spices, then you can pour the rhubarb syrup into a glass or plastic container or jar (with an air-tight lid) and store it in the fridge until needed.
PRO TIP – This is completely optional, but you can add some very finely ground peppercorn into the syrup as well! This will increase the flavor of the peppercorn in the syrup and also add a spicy kick to your drinks.
Other flavor additions and infusions you can try with rhubarb simple syrup
Rhubarb is such a wonderful fruit that pairs so well with many ingredients. So you can get very creative with your flavor combinations. While my favorite is to make a spiced pink and black peppercorn rhubarb simple syrup, I know that it might not be everyone’s favorite. Here are some of my other favorite flavor pairings for rhubarb.
- Rhubarb and vanilla syrup – Add vanilla to the syrup to get a hint of the wonderful vanilla sweetness in your syrup.
- Rhubarb ginger syrup – Add sliced ginger to the syrup to infuse the spicy flavor of ginger.
- Mint and rhubarb – Mint leaves added to the syrup will infuse a subtle minty freshness to the tart syrup.
- Strawberry rhubarb – A classic combination! You can add some strawberries to the rhubarb in the blender, so that you get a mixture of strawberry and rhubarb juice. Measure out the final amount of juice and adjust the sugar accordingly to get a lovely syrup with both fruit flavors.
- Lime or lemon – Both lime and lemon will liven up the flavor and tartness of rhubarb. But be careful to only add a little because you don’t want the tartness of the citrus to overpower the rhubarb.
- Rhubarb and herb – Rhubarb pairs very well with thyme and rosemary! So you can add either one of these herbs to the syrup to get a herby rhubarb rosemary syrup or a rhubarb thyme syrup.
Can you think of other flavors you can add to the rhubarb syrup to make it taste even better?
How to store rhubarb syrup
Due to the presence of fruit, this syrup will not last as long as simple syrup. However, you can extend the shelf life of rhubarb syrup by storing it in the fridge.
Make sure the jar or container you use is very clean and dry before pouring in the peppercorn and rhubarb syrup. If possible, you can also sanitize the jar. Store the syrup with an air-tight lid to prevent any air from the immediate environment making contact with the syrup.
Once you start using the syrup, it will naturally come into contact with air, but try to minimize it in-between uses.
Prevent any changes in the temperature of the syrup. If you take it out of the fridge, put it back right away after using the syrup. Letting it come to room temperature and then chilling it again, over and over, will decrease its shelf life.
The longevity of the spiced rhubarb syrup will depend on,
- How fresh the ingredients used to make the syrup were.
- How often you use it.
- Cleanliness of the container and how air-tight it is.
So make sure to check on the syrup when you use it. If there is a change in texture, smell, color, or clarity of the syrup, do not use it. If there is anything growing in and on top of the syrup, then obviously discard it.
As a rule of thumb, I only keep fruit flavored syrups in the fridge for 2 weeks at most.
I prefer to store my rhubarb syrup or any flavored syrup in the freezer. I can store the syrup in the freezer for up to 1 whole year! I freeze the syrup in smaller portions, and then thaw out only what I need.
How to use rhubarb syrup
You can use this syrup as a topping for different desserts!
- Rhubarb syrup for vanilla ice cream.
- A syrup topping for pancakes or waffles.
- It’s delicious when drizzled over whipped cream and crepes.
- Drizzle this spiced rhubarb syrup over fresh cut fruits, for a tart and spicy flavor boost.
Drinks you can make with rhubarb syrup
This syrup is perfect for cocktails. My favorite is a margarita!
- Spiced rhubarb margarita – Add this syrup instead of simple syrup in a classic margarita to make rhubarb margarita.
- Rhubarb soda – Use this as a rhubarb soda syrup to flavor club soda.
- Rhubarb and ginger soda – Flavor ginger beer with this rhubarb soda syrup.
- Gin and tonic with spiced rhubarb – Add a splash of this syrup to flavor your gin and tonic!
- Rhubarb lemonade – Instead of adding sugar, add this syrup to your lemonade!
As the saying goes, the only limit is your imagination! 🙂
Questions and tips for this recipe
Absolutely! You can allow the frozen rhubarb to thaw out and blend it as stated in the recipe. As long as you extract the rhubarb juice, it doesn’t matter if you use fresh or frozen rhubarb.
Absolutely not. Green rhubarb will have the same flavor as red rhubarb. The color does not indicate “ripeness” when it comes to rhubarb as some are inclined to believe. You can proceed with the recipe as is without making any changes if you use green rhubarb.
The syrup may not have the dark pink / red color though. However, if you do want the rhubarb syrup to have a similar color, you can add a small piece of beetroot into the rhubarb juice and sugar when cooking the syrup. The beetroot should gently leech out a pale pink color to the syrup. Then take it out when you have the color you desire because you don’t want the syrup to be infused with beetroot flavor.
The pulp really won’t have much flavor if you extracted all the juice.
You can add it to muffins if you want more fiber in your muffins, or to smoothies as well.
Or if you have a garden, you could add it to your compost as well.
Other recipes you might like
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Rhubarb syrup recipe (for cocktails and drinks)
Ingredients:
- 450 g rhubarb
- 60 mL water ¼ cup (You can add up to 80 mL / ⅓ cup if needed)
- 250 g white sugar 1 ¼ cups
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns OPTIONAL
- 1 tbsp pink peppercorns OPTIONAL. You can substitute with extra black peppercorns for convenience. You can also leave out the peppercorns for a rhubarb simple syrup.
- 1 tsp pink peppercorns OPTIONAL
Instructions:
- Cut the rhubarb stalks into smaller pieces. Roughly about 1 inch pieces.450 g rhubarb
- Place the rhubarb pieces in a blender, along with the water.60 mL water
- Blend until the rhubarb is very finely processed and you have a very watery blend.
- Pass this mixture through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze the pulp to get as much of the juice out as possible. This should be very easy as the rhubarb is very fibrous and easy to squeeze.
- You should get about 320 – 360 mL of rhubarb juice.
- If using, roughly crack the peppercorns in a small spice grinder or mortar and pestle. You do not want the peppercorns to be too finely ground, just larger pieces. See recipe notes.1 tbsp whole black peppercorns, 1 tbsp pink peppercorns
- Place the rhubarb juice, sugar, and peppercorns (if using), in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, while stirring, to dissolve the sugar.250 g white sugar
- Bring the syrup to a boil, and then lower the heat to gently simmer the syrup. Simmer the syrup for 20 – 30 minutes. The final volume of the syrup should be between 1 ¾ cup (without the black pepper) or about 2 cups (with the peppercorns).
- When the syrup has simmered and thickened, remove the syrup from the heat.
- Let the syrup cool down to room temperature and transfer to a glass bottle or jar with an air-tight lid.
- If you used peppercorns, let them sit in the syrup as it cools down to allow the flavor to infuse. You can also let the peppercorns infuse overnight for added flavor.
- Strain the syrup to remove the peppercorns, and then store the syrup in the glass bottle or jar with an air-tight lid.
- OPTIONAL – Finely ground the pink peppercorns, and add as little or as much as you like to the strained syrup for an extra kick in your drinks.1 tsp pink peppercorns
Tips & Tricks
Note on the peppercorn and spice level
Adding peppercorns is optional. But I do recommend it, especially if you like spices, and love to try new flavors. This adds so much depth of flavor to the rhubarb syrup. Almost a smoky flavor that works so well in drinks. Please adjust the amount of peppercorns used to your liking.- More peppercorns = more spice and flavor. Less peppercorns = milder spice and flavor.
- Whole peppercorns will infuse less flavor. The smaller the peppercorns are ground, the more flavor and heat infused into the syrup.
- Shorter infusion time will also result in a milder syrup, while a longer infusion time will result in more peppercorn flavor and heat.
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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