Rhubarb Vinegar: Health Benefits, Culinary Uses & Why We Love Peacock Farm's
Rhubarb vinegar might just be the most underrated bottle in your kitchen. Tart, versatile, and quietly packed with goodness, it's the kind of ingredient that earns its place on the shelf the moment you start using it. Here's everything you need to know — from its impressive health credentials to the best ways to cook, drink, and even clean with it.
What Is Rhubarb Vinegar?
Rhubarb vinegar is made by combining antioxidant-rich rhubarb with fermented vinegar — sometimes called a shrub in the drinks world. The result is a beautifully balanced condiment with sweet, tart and acidic notes that works across an extraordinary range of uses. Peacock Farm's version, lovingly made by Donya in the Vale of Belvoir, has even won a Great Taste Award — and one sip tells you exactly why.
Health Benefits of Rhubarb Vinegar
Beyond the flavour, rhubarb vinegar offers a genuinely impressive range of potential health benefits:
- Antioxidant boost: Rhubarb is rich in anthocyanins — the pigments responsible for its red colour — which fight free radicals and reduce oxidative stress, offering anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Heart health: Components in rhubarb including resveratrol and fibre may help lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, supporting cardiovascular health.
- Blood sugar support: Vinegar's acetic acid can improve insulin sensitivity and help regulate blood sugar levels after meals.
- Weight management: Acetic acid also increases satiety, helping manage appetite naturally.
- Gut health: Traditionally used in Chinese medicine, rhubarb has long been valued for its positive impact on digestion.
- Nutrient-rich: Rhubarb is a good source of Vitamin K (essential for bone health and blood clotting), Vitamin C, and calcium.
How to Use Rhubarb Vinegar in the Kitchen
Vinaigrettes & Salads
Rhubarb vinegar shines in salad dressings. Try it in a simple vinaigrette over mixed leaves with goat's cheese or feta, or use it to dress a salmon salad, beetroot carpaccio, or smoked chicken salad. The tartness cuts through rich ingredients beautifully.
Marinades & Cooking
Use it as a glaze for roasted vegetables (asparagus is a particularly wonderful pairing), a reduction for pan-fried fish like salmon or scallops, or to deglaze the pan after cooking chicken or lamb. It adds a fruity depth that transforms simple dishes.
Drinks & Shrubs
Mix with sparkling water and ice for a refreshing summer drink — this is the classic shrub serve. It's also a brilliant addition to a gin and tonic, adding a sweet fruity note that works perfectly with botanical gins. Dilute with hot water for a traditional throat-soothing remedy in winter.
Desserts
Don't overlook rhubarb vinegar at the sweet end of the meal. Drizzle over vanilla ice cream, stir into fruit compotes, or add a dash to chocolate pudding to balance the richness. It's also wonderful on pancakes — as Peacock Farm themselves suggest!
Perfect Flavour Pairings
- Flavours: Ginger, strawberries, rosemary, goat's cheese, feta
- Meats: Lamb, mackerel, chicken, smoked trout
- Drinks: Gin, sparkling water, prosecco
- Desserts: Vanilla, chocolate, rhubarb crumble
Other Surprising Uses
The acidity of rhubarb vinegar also makes it surprisingly effective for cleaning — mirrors, glass, and limescale are no match for it. And if you ever make your own at home, the leftover rhubarb pulp can be cooked down into a tangy purée perfect for toast or pancakes.
Why We Stock Peacock Farm's Rhubarb Vinegar
At Soar Trading, we only choose makers who do things properly. Donya at Peacock Farm has been crafting her fruit vinegars in the Vale of Belvoir using a treasured family recipe — and the results speak for themselves. Her Rhubarb Vinegar has earned a Great Taste Award, and the feedback from food experts says it all: "The balance of sour/sweet and acid notes is perfect. A stunner."
It's the kind of bottle that changes how you cook. We think you'll love it.