More rhubarb

Fi Bird, who lives in the Angus Glens of Scotland and encourages young people to cook through her organization Stirrinstuff has sent me a recipe for rhubarb cordial. More deliciousness can be found on her website here. Many thanks to Fi for permission to publish her recipe.

Rhubarb and Ruby Orange Cordial


Cordial has a high sugar content but when diluted, it is less sugary than manufactured fizzy drinks. You can also use the cordial in place of sugar when cooking summer fruits.


Makes 1 litre
1kilo red rhubarb stalks
5 blood oranges (250mls)
300ml boiling water
500g granulated sugar


1. Wash the rhubarb and cut the sticks into equal sized lengths.
2. Squeeze the juice from the blood oranges. Pour the juice and water over the rhubarb and bring the pan to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes until the rhubarb is soft.
3. Put a piece of muslin in a large sieve and strain the cooked rhubarb into a bowl. Leave for 45 minutes.
4. Measure the strained juice and pour it into a clean pan. Bring the pan to the boil and for each 500ml of juice, add 250g of sugar.
5. Heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved and then boil for 2 minutes.
6. Pour the cordial into clean bottles and seal when cool. Refrigerate until use and dilute as required.