Strawberry-Rhubarb Shrub
A shrub is a drinking vinegar — fruit and sugar macerated together, then mixed with vinegar. It sounds strange if you've never had one. It tastes incredible. This combination of strawberry and rhubarb is the essence of late spring in a glass. Mix it with sparkling water, use it in cocktails, or driz
Time: 15 minutes active, 2 to 3 days macerating · Yield: About 3 cups concentrate
Ingredients
- ●2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- ●1 cup rhubarb, diced small
- ●1½ cups granulated sugar
- ●1½ cups raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother, if possible)
- ●1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (optional)
Method
- Combine the strawberries, rhubarb, and sugar in a large glass jar or bowl. Stir well, mashing the fruit slightly with a fork.
- Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, stirring once daily. The sugar will draw out the fruit juices, creating a thick, brilliant red syrup.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard or compost the fruit pulp (or spoon it over yogurt — it's still tasty).
- Add the apple cider vinegar and ginger (if using) to the strained syrup. Stir to combine.
- Transfer to a clean bottle or jar. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using — the flavor smooths out considerably with time.
- *To serve:** Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of shrub with a cup of sparkling water. Add ice. Adjust to taste.
- *Storage:** Refrigerate for up to 6 months. The vinegar acts as a preservative.
- *Seasonal note:** Shrubs were common in colonial America as a way to preserve fruit before refrigeration. They've made a well-deserved comeback. Once you've made one, you'll start seeing possibilities everywhere — blueberry-basil, peach-ginger, plum-cardamom.
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