There is a window of time each spring when the rhubarb is tall and ready, the lemons are bright, and the days are just beginning to feel like summer. This recipe lives right in that window.

We have been growing rhubarb here on the homestead for years. In fact, our original rhubarb plant came from the homestead where I grew up, and every season I am struck with how generous it continues to be. It asks almost nothing and gives so much. One of our very favorite things to do with those brilliant red stalks, is to turn them into a pitcher of rhubarb lemonade.

The rhubarb cooks down into the most beautiful rosy syrup you have ever seen. Combined with fresh lemon juice and cold water, it becomes something that tastes like the very best version of early summer in a glass. We keep a pitcher of it in the refrigerator from the moment the rhubarb is ready until it is gone, which is never very long.

It is simple enough to make on a quiet morning, pretty enough to set out for company, and refreshing enough that you will find yourself going back to the refrigerator more times than you planned. Ask me how I know!

The recipe below makes a generous half-gallon. Plenty for a pitcher to share. Double it for a full gallon, and don't miss the note about freezing the syrup. Making a big batch now means rhubarb lemonade well into the summer, long after the stalks are gone.

Pick up a glass. The garden worked hard for this one.

Homestead Rhubarb Lemonade

Bright, rosy, and perfectly tart — a pitcher of early summer made from the garden. This recipe makes a generous half gallon, easily doubled for a full gallon.

Servings

8

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups fresh rhubarb stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces

• 1 cups granulated sugar

• 1 cups water (for the syrup)

• 1 cups fresh lemon juice (about 6–8 lemons)

• 4 cups cold water (to finish)

• fresh lemon slices, for serving

• 4 fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)

STEPS

1. Make the rhubarb syrup: Combine 4 cups fresh rhubarb stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces, 1cups granulated sugar, and 1 cups water (for the syrup) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb breaks down completely and the syrup turns a deep, beautiful pink.

2. Strain the syrup: Pour the rhubarb mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or pitcher, pressing the pulp gently with the back of a spoon to extract every bit of that rosy syrup. Discard the pulp. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.

3. Assemble the lemonade: Once the syrup has cooled, pour it into a half-gallon pitcher. Add 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6–8 lemons) and 4 cups cold water (to finish). Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust — a little more lemon if you like it brighter, a splash more water if you'd like it lighter.

4. Chill and serve: Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Pour over ice and garnish with fresh lemon slices for serving, and 4 fresh mint sprigs, if desired. This keeps beautifully in the refrigerator for up to one week.

NOTES

To make a full gallon: Simply double every ingredient. The rhubarb syrup can be made in a larger pot — just give it a few extra minutes to reduce properly.

Make it with honey: Swap the sugar for ¾ cup of good local honey for a more earthy sweetness that pairs beautifully with the rhubarb.

Sparkling version: Replace the cold water with chilled sparkling water for a lovely fizzy lemonade — add it just before serving so it stays bubbly.

Freeze the syrup: The strained rhubarb syrup freezes beautifully in mason jars. Make a big batch in season and pull it out all summer long.

Homestead tip: If you have lemon balm growing in your garden toss a small handful of fresh leaves right into the pot with the rhubarb as it simmers. It steeps into the syrup beautifully and adds a gentle, fragrant sweetness that takes this lemonade somewhere truly special. Finish with a fresh sprig in each glass when serving.

Enjoy!