Strawberry Rhubarb Simple Syrup

It wasn't until I had a rhubarb infused hard cider at a cider fest earlier in the year that I started to appreciate the culinary aspect of this plant. Behold! Strawberry-rhubarb syrup for cocktails and soda drinks. I saw this recipe on my RSS feed from Smitten Kitchen. It is a very simple recipe that smells fruity and has a tangy sour-sweet taste. 

Also this was my first time using rhubarb in a recipe. Should you happen to buy the stalks fresh, trim and discard the ends as you would with a stalk of celery. Then chop or dice as normal.

Yield: 3 cups

Usage: 2 tbsp per 6-8 oz of chilled sparkling water or sparkling wine



Ingredients

1 lb fresh strawberries, quartered
1 lb fresh rhubarb stalks, diced
1 c organic granulated sugar
1 c filtered water
a few lemon peels, just the yellow part

Directions

Add everything to a pot and cover. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and strain using a fine mesh strainer over a 1-quart or larger bowl. Let the syrup drain.

You could use a silicone spatula to press more syrup through; but you will get more pulp in the syrup. This doesn't affect the taste only the appearance of your beverage. It can look cloudy instead of translucent.