Boozy rhubarb

SIR – Although Diana Henry (Magazine, March 19) suggests many interesting ways to use rhubarb, she omits one.

For many years our family lived in Compton Martin, on the north side of the Mendips, where my mother’s rhubarb grew ferociously: great three-foot stalks, as thick as your wrist. There was none of this pink forced stuff – it was grown, with its huge leaves, in broad daylight.

I built a press, with my car jack as its main tool. The rhubarb stalks were slashed to bits with a sharp knife, then went in the press. Many gallons of pale pinkish juice were produced. They were poured into glass and stone jars of between one and 10 gallons, corked with water traps and set to ferment. The resulting wine was happily drunk by all and sundry, neat or blended.

In a good year we made about 300 bottles of wine – mostly rhubarb, but also plum if there was a glut, or pear. There was always a glass of wine with the evening meal.

Davina Elaine Hockin

Portishead, Somerset