How To: Shrubs
Not the leafy kind of shrubs—the sipping kind.
I love sitting out on the patio in the summer, watching the life in the garden, and enjoying a cold drink—but sometimes I don't want liquor in that drink. In my search for something to fill that spot besides soda, I discovered shrubs, wonderfully sour fruity drinks with a real punch.
When I first heard about shrubs, I was dubious— they’re vinegar-based and for the most part, I don't chug vinegar. But I do love to experiment, so I tried making them. After a couple experiments, I developed my own recipe (below). I love them, but I would also mainline sour fruity candy. So, if you like sour, you'll probably enjoy shrubs. If you don't like sour, avoid them.
My Shrub Syrup recipe:
Ingredients
1/2C dried herbs or fruit
2C apple cider vinegar
1C Stevia in the Raw
Directions
Mix dried herbs or fruits with vinegar in a large saucepan.
Bring to boil and allow to boil for 3 minutes.
Allow to sit for 30 minutes to 24 hours.
Strain and return liquid to the pan. I use a canning funnel with a screen attachment, but cheesecloth works just as well.
Bring to boil again and simmer for 5-7 minutes with the lid off or cracked. This boils off some of the vinegar's acetic acid and mellows the flavor.
Slowly whisk in stevia while simmering. Be careful, the mixture foams as you add the stevia.
Boil for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. This boils off even more acetic acid, so boil until you've reached your desired flavor.
Pour into container, label, and chill.
To serve, pour 1-2 Tablespoons of syrup in the bottom of a glass (adjust depending on your sour tolerance) and gradually fill with sparkling water. Again, be careful because it foams—and the foam is super-sour.
Enjoy!
A few suggestions:
This recipe works great with elderberries or hibiscus, but if you're feeling more experimental, try using Tiesta Tea's Maui Mango or Blueberry Wild Child or Darlene’s Tea Port’s Kiwi-Strawberry. (I receive no money from either company for telling you this). I found these herbal tisane mixes have enough fruity flavor to stand out over the vinegar. Note that these herbal teas/tisanes are loaded with natural sugars, and some already have added sugar (ie: candied pineapple in Maui Mango). If you're diabetic or avoiding sugar, be sure to check the ingredients before buying.
I use apple cider vinegar, but white vinegar also works. I just prefer the flavor of apple cider vinegar.
I use Stevia in the Raw in lieu of sugar. It produces a thinner syrup but comes with less sugar. Cane sugar will produce a thick syrup. If you prefer cane sugar, adjust your final boiling time accordingly and stir more frequently so your syrup doesn't burn
