Rhubarb kompot or kompot z rabarbaru is a refreshing drink for spring and summer. I remember reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. She and her family had just moved to an Appalachian farm and began a year-long experiment to eat only local foods.
Rhubarb kompot, Hangar 1 Mandarin Blossom Vodka, and tonic water.
They found January was not the best time to begin this project. After a couple of months without desserts, I remember their excitement when rhubarb, with its quick-growing stalks, was the first to ripen after winter, made an appearance at their farmer’s market. It was the first taste of spring.
You can enjoy this taste in a traditional Polish beverage. Since nothing is wasted in Polish cooking, the fruit, once stewed to make the beverage, is used as a dessert, a topping for oatmeal or yogurt, or even in baking. You may even get a piece or two of fruit in your glass of kompot.
My cooked rhubarb is in the freezer waiting to reappear with cherries in a pie or maybe with apples in szarlotka.
Great selection of Polish aprons – click on the photo to see them all at Polish Shirt Store!
I followed the example of AniaGotuje.pl and made my kompot concentrated. This gave me the option to dilute the kompot with sparkling water, sparkling wine, or with other mixers in a cocktail. The usual proportions for kompot are 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 – 2 pounds of fruit, a gallon of water, so I’m cooking the rhubarb in 2 quarts of water rather than a gallon.
Polish Rhurbarb Kompot and sparkling water
Polish rhubarb kompot would normally be consumed at room temperature from a juice glass, but I’ve enjoyed mixing it and having it over ice. Ice cubes – a definite sign of my American-ness! LOL
I’m sure you’ll enjoy the kompot with or without ice.
Smacznego!
Lois
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Polish Rhubarb Kompot
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minute
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 - 4 quarts 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Polish
Description
Polish rhubarb kompot – a fruity, refreshing drink for summer!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds rhubarb stalks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 quarts water
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a pan, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a slow simmer. Cook covered for 30 minutes.
- Strain out the rhubarb. Serve the concentrated kompot as is or dilute with water.
Notes
Flavors that go well with rhubarb if you’d like to kick it up a notch:
- Lemon – add a piece of lemon zest removed with a vegetable peeler
- Strawberry or cherry – add a few sliced halve to the rhubarb kompot
- Elderflowers – add a few sprigs of cleaned elderflowers to your mixture, or add some elderflower liqueur if using the kompot on a cocktail
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Ac
Thsnks for this. I love rhubarb and my favourite pie is rhubarb-cranberry. So, the pulp leftover from this Kompot will go right into a pie. Love your wonderful recipes!!