On May 11, 7:28 am, "Dar V" > wrote:
> Sean,
> Correct. The soaking helps break down the rhubarb, and the sulphite
> helps protect it while this is happening. Leaving something soak that long
> is/was a bit of a concern for me, so that's why I went to freezing the
> rhubarb for a month or two. You get the same effect - the rhubarb goes from
> very hard and stiff to soft and stringy. I found a lot of success with
> cutting the rhubarb into 1 inch pieces and then freezing for a couple of
> months. After you take the rhubarb out to thaw, there's actually rhubarb
> juice in the bag when its all done thawing. The whole point is getting the
> juice from the fruit, so that's why I've gone this route, but the
> soaking/sulphite works just as well.
> Darlene
>
> "snpm" > wrote in message
>
> oups.com...
>
>
>
> > On May 10, 2:18 pm, "Dar V" > wrote:
> >> I've made Jack's Rhubarb recipe a number of times. Rhubarb is a very hard
> >> fruit to get juice from, hard to break down...so you'll get more of the
> >> rhubarb taste if you let it sit and sulphite for 3 days. Now, I have been
> >> known to freeze my rhubarb for a couple of months before making my
> >> rhubarb
> >> wine. Freezing does break down the rhubarb as well, so it is up to you.
> >> Jack's recipes are always my starting point...I may change things a bit
> >> every now and then, but his recipes are always the place to begin.
> >> Darlene
>
> >> "snpm" > wrote in message
>
> groups.com...
>
> >> > Kellers rhubarb recipe says the soak the rhubarb for three days in
> >> > sulphite, stirring daily. Why? I've never seen that before....is there
> >> > something special about rhubarb that sulphiting for three whole days
> >> > will help with?
>
> >> > May your grapes be burgeoning
>
> >> > Sean- Hide quoted text -
>
> >> - Show quoted text -
>
> > Thank you Darlene...so am I correct in thinking it is the soaking that
> > is the point here. The sulpihte is so's that the product does not go
> > bad whilst soaking? Or does the sulphite actually help to extract
> > flavor? I am a learner.
>
> > Sean- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Darlene,

Terry Garey has one pour boiling water over crushed rhubarb. I
wondered have you or anyone you know tried this comparitive method?
Any thoughts? This was the way I tried it first time round. It was
utterly acrid, like battery acid for the first 18 months, but then
mellowed to a delicious gallon of wine which disappeared down my
gullet with probably unhealthy speed

Sean