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Shrubs

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    Shrubs

    Well, this was a real treasure to run across but, after trying it and thinking it through, it makes perfect sense.

    a Vinegar Shrub. where have these been all my life? I LOVE this and I can't wait to get more summer ripe fruit to make more flavors.

    From the Arabian part of the world, Vinegar Shrubs were a way to have a fruity drink, all year long, that would not ferment and would be delicious.

    Start with dead ripe fruit. you want it as ripe and juicy as possible. tooth achingly sweet (the peach truck is coming through in one month. I cannot wait!) clean the fruit gently so you don't lose any more than necessary.

    Prep quart sized canning jars by cleaning and scalding as you would for canning. pack in fruit.

    heat vinegar to just boiling min 190 degrees and pour hot vinegar over the fruit and close the jar. let it steep for a month and strain.
    once strained, add sugar and heat until sugar dissolves. in all you would have 2 cups juice, 2 cup vinegar, 2 cups sugar. jar all of it up and keep refrigerated. used a tablespoon of the mixture in a glass of cool water, plain or carbonated.

    these are DELICIOUS! we all love lemonade or Ginger Ale. this is really the same thing as if you could make lemonade with other fruits. if you could make Peach Ade. the Fruit is your base flavor, the vinegar makes it sour the way Lemonade is sour. and when you think it through it makes sense. when you try it, you get addicted! this is SO good!!

    So, pour yourself a Shrub and it will keep you cool and refreshed over the summer!

    #2
    At first I thought I was going to be sticking an Azalea bush in the blender.

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      #3
      I'm looking forward to trying this, thanks!

      Comment


        #4
        it really is amazingly yummy! even though we are not yet into the summer season, I can see how well this would brighten you up on a hot, heavy day. just like adding a bit of sharp acid to a WAY sweet dessert. <atter of fact, I made some watermelon Ice from a Moon and Stars melon I grew last summer and i did not put NEARLY enough lemon in the mix. it is SO sweet. I'm going to grab that stuff from the freezer and use it to make shrubs. U \\I used some of it at Christmas to make Watermelon Royal Icing for my Christmas Calissons and ti tasted like a fresh watermelon. I imagine the Shrub made from it will too.

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          #5
          Karon Adams Thanks and will add to recipe collection to try when local fruit is available. Would this work with over ripe bananas?

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          • Karon Adams
            Karon Adams commented
            Editing a comment
            that I don't know. I haven't tried it in banana. I am using it with fruits of other types. not the starchy fruits but apples and peaches and berries and such. I was allergic to bananas for over 30 years. never knew why then, suddenly, i could eat them again. o my bana recipe collection is slim

          • Richard P
            Richard P commented
            Editing a comment
            Karon Adams Thanks, might have to try it just to see. Let you know if it works. Might work in a banana daiquiri .

          #6
          Originally posted by Karon Adams View Post
          Prep quart sized canning jars by cleaning and scalding as you would for canning. pack in fruit.

          heat vinegar to just boiling min 190 degrees and pour hot vinegar over the fruit and close the jar. let it steep for a month and strain.
          once strained, add sugar and heat until sugar dissolves. in all you would have 2 cups juice, 2 cup vinegar, 2 cups sugar.
          Ok, I'm a bit lost on this... 2 cups juice, 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups sugar?

          I thought you put the whole (or sliced/peeled?) fruit in the jar, cover with vinegar, then wait a month and strain. Discard the fruit itself at that point, as you are only looking for the liquid? Heat the strained vinegar/juice concoction and add sugar. Not sure where the 2 cups of juice/2 cups of vinegar comes in? I mean, the strained liquid is a combination of the juice leeched out of the fruit and the vinegar it steeped in, correct? Or am I missing something?

          <edit> I'm also wondering if this would make a good recipe to make some sweet & sour mix? We go through a LOT of this at my house between margaritas and my own whiskey sours. It gets to be a major pain juicing up 4-6+ lbs of lemons and limes to make up one pitcher of sweet & sour mix, but it is head and shoulders above any of that swill concoction you can buy at the store!

          Comment


          • Karon Adams
            Karon Adams commented
            Editing a comment
            you can soak ripe fruit in vinegar or you can use juice already made to create a shrub.

          • Karon Adams
            Karon Adams commented
            Editing a comment
            or 2 cups of fruit pulp

          #7
          Does this need to steep in the fridge? or can it sit on the shelf?

          Comment


          • Karon Adams
            Karon Adams commented
            Editing a comment
            I would think steeping it in the hot vinegar would need to be countertop. as for whether it is shelf stable, that much sugar and vinegar shouldn't grow anything but I'm not gonna vouch for it.

          #8
          If you are the kind of person who likes lemon in their tea, you will probably like this. my husband is one who likes lemon in his ice water in summer. this would have the same refreshing effect.

          Comment


          • Thunder77
            Thunder77 commented
            Editing a comment
            That's me. And the wife as well. I like it in my fizzy water and my tea.

          • Karon Adams
            Karon Adams commented
            Editing a comment
            yes, shrubs are often made with seltzer water. I'm not a fan, the CO2 is bitter to me

          #9
          Shrubs are amazing things indeed, can also be substituted or added with lemon or lime juice to add acidity to cocktails and add different flavors. Lemon and lime juice hover around 6% acidity while equal part shrubs are around 2. If your going to use a sweetener such as simple syrup which hovers around 60% glucose depending on your specs you want to be in the range of 10:1 sweet to acid, that’s why equal parts simple syrup and lemon or lime juice work so well! Also a lot of them can double as a mean salad dressing.

          Comment


            #10
            Shrubs are becoming quite popular here in Montana at some of the hip distilleries popping up. They are delicious, and I think I may need to make some wild Montana huckleberry shrub after reading all this!

            Comment

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