Best Shrub Recipes

SHRUB

Steps:

• Wash and sterilize a bowl or jar. Add blackberries; cover with sugar. Add thyme and sage. Stir well to combine. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until a pool of juice and syrup forms around the blackberries, 1 to 2 days.
• Remove thyme and sage from the bowl. Place a fine mesh strainer over a separate bowl and pour in blackberry mixture. Press lightly on the solids to expel all the juice.
• Sterilize a glass jar or bottle. Pour in juice and add vinegar. Cover with a lid and shake gently to dissolve any remaining sugar. Let rest until flavors intensify, at least 1 day.

BLACKBERRY SHRUB

Steps:

• Place fruit and cinnamon stick in a sterilized pint jar. Bring vinegar just to a boil; pour over fruit, leaving ¼-in. headspace. Center lid on jar; screw on band until fingertip tight. Refrigerate for 1 week., Strain vinegar mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into another sterilized pint jar. Press solids to extract juice; discard remaining fruit., Bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly. Stir into vinegar mixture; shake well. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. , To serve, drink 1-2 tablespoons or add to a glass of ice, top with sparkling water and garnish with fresh blackberries.

SUMMER FRUIT SHRUB

Steps:

• Mix fruit and sugar in a glass or other nonplastic bowl, breaking apart or mashing the fruit to bring out its juices. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Stir the mixture well, add vinegar and chill. The shrub can be strained and used at this point, but it will take on more of the characteristics of the fruit if it sits for a few days. When ready to use, stir well to make sure sugar is dissolved, then strain using a fine sieve, pressing the solids to get all of the juice.
• Pour the mixture into a clean Mason jar or funnel into a glass bottle with a stopper or cork.
• To prepare a drink, add 1 part shrub to 2 or 3 parts seltzer or ginger beer and serve over ice.

BLUEBERRY SHRUB

Steps:

• Place the blueberries in a nonmetallic container. Add the vinegar. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 days.
• Pour the vinegar-marinated blueberries into a sieve over a bowl; press the berries to release all their juice. Discard the solids.
• Pour the blueberry liquid into a medium saucepan. Add the sugar and boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pour the sweetened blueberry liquid into a small container and chill.
• To make each drink, add 1/4 cup blueberry concentrate to a medium cocktail glass filled with ice and add 1 cup cold water. Garnish, if desired.

TART APPLE-GINGER SHRUB

Steps:

• Place apple in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add apple cider vinegar, sugar, and grated ginger; stir well. Close tightly. Let sit in the refrigerator, 4 to 5 days.
• Strain syrupy liquid into a clean bottle, discarding apple scraps. Close tightly and chill.

CRANBERRY SHRUB

Steps:

• Combine vinegar, water, and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cranberries, cardamom pods, allspice berries, and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil. Stir and cover until cranberries begin to pop, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir again, being careful that cranberries do not burn you as they pop. Reduce heat and simmer until sugar has dissolved and cranberries have released their juice, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain into a container, seal, and refrigerate. Discard pulp.

BOURBON-CRANBERRY SHRUB

Steps:

• Combine cranberries, sugar, and vinegar in a pot. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks.
• For each cocktail, fill a rocks glass with ice. Stir in bourbon, seltzer, and 2 tablespoons shrub liquid. Add 1 tablespoon shrub cranberries; serve immediately.

CHOKECHERRY VINEGAR - CHOKECHERRY SHRUB

Steps:

• Wash berries and mash in a glass bowl.
• Combine vinegar and water.
• Pour over berries (solution should cover berries).
• Let stand 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Place in a large saucepan, and slowly bring the mixture to a boil.
• Boil 5 minutes.
• Strain through a jelly bag.
• Do not squeeze bag.
• For each cup juice, add 1 cup granulated sugar.
• Bring to a boil.
• Boil 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Allow to settle.
• Bottle and refrigerate for up to 6 months, or pour into sterilized jars, seal and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.
• To Serve: Add to 2 - 4 tablespoons of concentrate on top of ice cubes in a glass. Fill with water, club soda, or sparkling water.

CHERRY-LIME SHRUB

Steps:

• Finely grate zest from lime. Place zest and cherries in a sterilized pint jar. Bring vinegar just to a boil; pour over fruit, leaving ¼-in. headspace. Center lid on jar; screw on band until fingertip tight. Refrigerate for 1 week., Strain vinegar mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into another sterilized pint jar. Press solids to extract juice; discard remaining fruit., Bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly. Stir into vinegar mixture; shake well. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. , To serve, drink 1-2 tablespoons or add to a glass of ice, top with sparkling water and garnish with fresh cherries and lime.

BLUEBERRY-BOURBON SHRUB

Steps:

• Puree blueberries, sugar, and red wine vinegar in a blender. Add peppercorns. Chill shrub, covered, 4 hours to 2 days. Strain.
• In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, combine 2 fluid ounces blueberry shrub and bourbon. Shake until very cold.
• Strain into an ice-filled pint glass. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with additional blueberries or a lime wedge.

"BOXWOOD SHRUB" CAKE BALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter with sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 minute. Add egg; beat well. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating until combined. Add milk and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary; beat until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack and let cool completely.
• Crumble cake into a bowl until no large lumps remain. Add buttercream; stir until combined.
• Place nonpareils in a small bowl. Using your hands, roll half of cake mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls (heaping teaspoons); working with one at a time, roll balls in nonpareils, pressing lightly to adhere.
• Roll remaining cake mixture into 3/4-inch balls (scant teaspoons) and roll in nonpareils, pressing lightly to adhere. (You should have about 14 of each.) Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Decorated cake balls can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.

BLUEBERRY-LEMONADE SHRUB

Steps:

• Blend all ingredients except lemon slices in blender until smooth.
• Serve over ice in tall glass. Top with lemon slices.

BLACKBERRY-AND-SAGE SHRUB

Steps:

• In a large nonreactive pot (such as stainless steel), combine berries, sugar, and sage. Let stand 1 hour, stirring a few times. Cook over medium heat until warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Add vinegars and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a bare simmer (do not let boil). Remove from heat; let stand at room temperature, uncovered, 24 hours. Remove and discard sage. Strain shrub base; reserve pickled berries (which can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week) for another use. Transfer shrub base to another airtight container; refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 month.
• Fill glasses halfway with ice. Top with 1 part shrub base and 4 to 5 parts sparkling water. Stir once; garnish with more sage and fresh berries, if desired. Serve immediately.

BLACKCURRANT & LEMON VERBENA SHRUB

Steps:

• First, sterilise a large jar or bottle. Wash in hot, soapy water, then place on a baking tray and put in a low oven for 10 mins or until completely dry. Put the blackcurrants in the warm sterilised jar and set aside. Make an infusion with 500ml boiling water and the lemon verbena, then stir through the sugar. Pour over the blackcurrants, stir and leave to cool. Cover with a lid, then put in the fridge. Every day for about 5 days, gently shake the jar.
• By this time, the fruit should have macerated in the sugary tea. Tip into a pan with the vinegar and gently bring to a very light simmer for about 5 mins. Allow to cool to room temperature, then strain through a muslin-lined, fine mesh sieve into a large, sterilised jar and seal with a lid.
• Keep it in the fridge and serve topped up with fizzy or still water - add a sprig of fresh verbena or lemon balm if you like. Will keep in the fridge for up to 4 months.

CRANBERRY APPLE SHRUB

Steps:

• Puree the apple, cranberries, vinegar, sage and rosemary needles in a blender on high until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Place the sugar and lemon and orange rinds in a quart-sized glass jar and pour the puree over top.
• Tightly seal the lid and vigorously shake. Let sit in a cool, dark place for a week, turning the jar over once a day.
• Strain the shrub through a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a large bowl, pressing on the solids to release as much liquid as possible. Discard the leftover pulp and store in a clean, quart-sized glass jar.
• To serve, combine 1 ounce of the shrub with 3 ounces prosecco or other sparkling wine. For a no-alcohol treat, swap the prosecco with seltzer water.

RAW RASPBERRY SHRUB

Steps:

• Put half the raspberries in a large bowl and lightly crush some of them with a muddler or a potato masher. Pour over the honey, stir well, cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
• The following day, stir in the vinegar, then tip the mixture into a sieve over a large jug and press through using the back of a spoon.
• Add the remaining raspberries, the mint leaves, sparkling water and ice. Stir gently to combine, then serve.

CRANBERRY SHRUB COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Make Shrub: in a 4-quart saucepan, combine cranberrries, sugar, vinegar and lime zest with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil on Medium-High heat. Reduce heat to Low, cover; simmer about 20 mins. until cranberries are completely broken down. Let cool 30-60 mins. Place cranberry mixture in blender, puree until smooth. Strain mixture over a large bowl, pressing firmly o solids to extract as much liquied as possible. Skim off foam. Chill until ready to use. (Makes enough for about 18 drinks). For each drink: Combine 1.5 to 2 oz. (3-4 Tbsp) of chilled shrub with 1.5 oz. vodka, ice cubes and shake. Pour in glass; top with sparkling wine. Do not stir. Garnish with lime twist. NOTE: Shrub can be made and stored in frig up to 2 months.

CHRISTMAS SHRUB -A RUM SPICE LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Wash the fruits and remove the zest in strips, avoiding the white pith.
• Combine the zests, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, vanilla beans, 2 cups of sugar, and 2 cups of water in a large heavy saucepan.
• Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to lowest possible setting. Let the ingredients infuse for 30 minutes.
• Strain the syrup into a large mixing bowl.
• Combine the remaining 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in the same large saucepan.
• Cover the pan and bring mixture to a boil. Uncover the pan and cook the mixture over high heat until it turns golden brown or caramelizes -about 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of rum to the caramel. BE CAREFUL -the mixture may splatter. When the splatter has subsided, return the pan to low heat stirring with a wooden spoon until the caramel has dissolved into the rum.
• Add the caramel mixture and remaining rum to the syrup. (I found a large jar like you see in deli's for pickles I use for this). Whisk or in my case, shake the mixture. Pour into clean bottles or containers. Place in a cool dark place and allow to age. It will keep indefinitely.
• I put this is pretty decorative bottles like you see for salad dressing and give as Christmas gifts. I had an uproar the one year I didn't make it.
• Servings and yield are approximate, but about 2 gallons I'd guess. This is something you drink like a cordial or as a sipper. It is very strong!

GINGER SHRUB

Steps:

• Heat ginger and 1 cup vinegar in a small non-reactive saucepan over high heat until it boils around the edges. Immediately transfer to a glass or stainless steel bowl. Let cool, then cover and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours. Pour mixture into a strainer set over a bowl, and let ginger drain for about 5 minutes without pressing on it. Measure liquid: you should have about 2/3 cup; if not, add more vinegar. Discard ginger, and transfer liquid to a small non-reactive saucepan. Stir in sugar, and set over high heat to bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Immediately reduce heat to very low, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until sugar has completely dissolved and shrub is clear. Cool, cover and refrigerate. To serve, mix shrub with water (or rum) to taste. Variation: For berry shrub, substitute 1 ½ cups of raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries for the ginger. Reduce vinegar to 2/3 cup blueberries for 1/2 cup for raspberries or blackberries.

CANTALOUPE DAIQUIRI SHRUB

Steps:

• Puree cantaloupe, sugar, and champagne vinegar in a blender. Stir in lime zest. Chill, covered, 4 hours to 2 days. Strain.
• In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, combine 2 fluid ounces cantaloupe shrub, rum, and lime juice. Shake until very cold. Strain into an ice-filled wine glass or water goblet. Garnish with slices of cantaloupe and lime.