Martha Stewart Rhubarb Syrup

Martha Stewart rhubarb syrup starts with a quick vanilla bean trick that most 15 minute recipes skip. She splits a whole pod into the pot with fresh spring rhubarb and sugar. Three minutes later you have a bright pink batch for cocktails, lemonade, and weekend brunch.

Pour it over vanilla ice cream, add it to cold lemonade, or use it anywhere you would reach for maple syrup. Pull the pot after three minutes, because rhubarb goes bitter and mushy if it simmers too long.

Martha Stewart Rhubarb Syrup

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Course: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

18

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Calories

45

kcal

A clean sweet-tart syrup with a bright pink color from fresh rhubarb and the warm depth of a real vanilla bean.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
  

• 1 cup water
  

• 1/2 vanilla bean, pod split and scraped
  

• 6 ounces rhubarb, finely chopped (about 1 ¼ cups)
  

Directions

• Make the syrup: Combine sugar, water, vanilla bean and seeds, and rhubarb in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer until rhubarb is tender, about 3 minutes.
• Strain and cool: Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain syrup into a bowl, pressing gently on rhubarb to release as much liquid as possible. Let syrup cool completely, then transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, Cuisinart fine mesh strainer set, Ball regular mouth mason jars, 12 pack, Madagascar vanilla beans, grade A, 10 pods. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean?

Swap in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, but add it after the syrup comes off the heat. Cooking extract at a boil burns off the flavor. The vanilla bean gives the purest taste, but extract works when you cannot find a fresh pod.

How long does rhubarb syrup last in the fridge?

Store it in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Glass works better than plastic since the pink color can stain containers. After seven days the flavor fades and the syrup can start to ferment, so make a fresh batch rather than pushing it.

What drinks pair best with homemade rhubarb syrup?

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to a gin fizz, a vodka soda, or a glass of champagne for a spring cocktail. For a non-alcoholic drink, stir 2 tablespoons into cold seltzer with a squeeze of lemon. It also works stirred into iced green tea or cold lemonade.

Can I use frozen rhubarb to make this syrup?

Frozen rhubarb works, but do not thaw it first since the extra water dilutes the syrup. Add about 30 extra seconds of simmering to account for the colder starting temperature. The color may be slightly paler than with fresh stalks, but the tart flavor holds up.

What should I do with the leftover cooked rhubarb?

Spoon the strained rhubarb over yogurt, oatmeal, or vanilla ice cream since it still has plenty of flavor. Martha also suggests rinsing the spent vanilla bean, drying it, and tucking it into a jar of sugar for two weeks to make homemade vanilla sugar. The bean can also go into a bottle of vodka for a subtle infusion.