I have a rhubarb patch which is threatening to take over the garden and I thought I might make a batch of wine with it, but I have been advised that only early season rhubarb should be used for wine because the oxalic acid content increases during the growing season. Does anyone know whether this is correct, or have any experience of rhubarb wine please? I'e like to start it now, but if it's at all dangerous I'll wait 'till spring.
Rhubarb rhubarb
Aug 27, 2005
9 Replies
I have made several batches of Rhubarb wine from mature stalks with no ill effects.
Later, A.J. Rawls Anchorage, Alaska, USA
me too!
Oxalic acid is only present in the leaves. The late season stuff is usually just tough and stringy. For wine, no big deal. For cooking, chewy!!!
I've made rhubarb wine with early, mid-season, and late stalks. You might try freezing them before you make the wine with them. Freezing breaks them down a bit more. You could also use precipitated chalk to get rid of the oxalic acid taste - I do. However, others may disagree. Good-luck. Darlene
A.J. I do not remember from when I lived in Anchorage, but do grapes grow in the Matanuska Valley?
Many thanks to everyone for responses, I will have a bash at rhubarb wine, - especially Pinky, if it's ok for Yorkshire rhubarb which my grandad used to tell me was the best in the world, then I guess it's worth a try!! Kathy
Kathy, Don't peel it but do wash it and then freeze it for a couple of days. When it defrosts you have much better juice extraction without much effort. Also use a pectin enzyme which helps with the breakdown of the fibres and juice extraction. Rhubarb wine is excellent in itself but it is a hugely useful wine in blending with others since it takes on the flavours of the blended wine very readily. I certainly do not use chalk to alter the basic characteristics of rhubarb wine and my recipe ( like several of my long used fruit wine recipes) is one I have used for longer than I care to remember! I confess I haven't made any for about 4 years now, but that is because of lack of space not because of the wine itself. Good luck with your efforts
Oxalic acid content does increase with age (it is inthe stalks as well as the leaves, although in the stocks it is in low quantites) A lot of people do not like thae taste of oxalic acid and find the early season stuff tastes better.
The only reason I use chalk in my rhubarb wine is that it helps reduce the acid a bit for easier fermentation. I use about 4-5 lbs/ gallon with a clove/ginger addition recipe.
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