Sean,
Using the precipitated chalk to get rid of the oxalic acid does help. I just
picked some rhubarb myself, so I'm ready to freeze it. Good-luck.
Darlene

"snpm" > wrote in message
ps.com...
> On May 11, 10:36 am, "Dar V" > wrote:
>> Sean,
>> I do what Terry Garey does as well - pour the hot sugar water over
>> the
>> fruit (thawed rhubarb). There are varying thoughts out there, some think
>> it
>> gives a cooked taste to the wine, others think the hot water sets the
>> color,
>> others don't. I think it depends on your taste-buds...so if you have a
>> recipe you like and the wine tastes good to you, well, I don't know that
>> I'd
>> change it. Did you use precipitated chalk to get rid of the oxalic acid
>> taste? I do do that, and my rhubarb may be a bit much early on, but it
>> usually smoothes out after a year.
>> Darlene
>>
>> "snpm" > wrote in message
>>
>> oups.com...
>>
>>
>>
>> > 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
>>
>> groups.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- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> Darlene,
>
> No, I didn't bring down the acid last time. I will this time, as I'm
> going per Keller this time. I have two rhubarb plants going now, so
> plenty of room for experiemntation in the coming years. No rush,
> right?
>
> Thanks for your help!
>
> Sean
>