And just like that, summer is here, and so is the very first heat wave. I’m deeply devoted to having warm and cozy drinks every day, but I’ve definitely been icing my matcha and superfood lattes for the past week or so. It also feels very nice to have something chilled and bubbly in the early evening, when it’s still light outside, and the sky is just beginning to turn pretty sunset colors. It’s those little details that make summer so special. For me, that something bubbly is usually kombucha, but I recently learned about fruit shrubs and fell in love. A shrub is a drinking vinegar syrup, which is delicious served over ice with seltzer or as a cocktail component. Today I’m specifically talking about fruit shrubs, which are so easy to make and last a while in the fridge. The flavor is definitely reminiscent of kombucha – fruity with a vinegary acidity, but the preparation requires much less patience than homemade booch. This is very much a no-recipe recipe, since it can be interpreted so many ways, with so many different fruit and aromatics. There’s a video explaining the whole process as well!
Follow the ratio provided in the recipe below, using a combination of any of these ingredients. Experimenting with the flavors is the most fun part.
Fruit
Berries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Blackberries
Etc.
Stone Fruit
Plums
Peaches
Nectarines
Cherries
Mangoes
Etc.
Other
Apples
Pears
Pineapple
Rhubarb
Etc.
Aromatics
Spices
Cinnamon
Cloves
Ginger (ideally fresh)
Peppercorns (black or pink)
Star anise
Nutmeg
Etc.
Herbs
Basil
Mint
Cilantro
Rosemary
Lemon thyme
Lemon verbena
Tarragon
Etc.
Citrus
Lemon
Lime
Orange
+ their zest
Etc.
- 1 lb fruit of choice (see above for suggestions)
- ¾ - 1 cup sugar (I like to use raw cane sugar here)
- any aromatics of choice (see above for suggestions) - to taste
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- In a large bowl, combine the fruit and sugar, mixing well. Use a potato masher to gently mash up the fruit in order to get it to start releasing its juices and to break up the skins if present. Add the aromatics like bruised or chopped herbs, spices, citrus juice/zest, etc. Cover and set aside for at least 4 hours, or ideally refrigerate overnight, especially if using tougher fruit like apples, pears, rhubarb.
- Strain the fruit mixture through a fine mesh strainer, making sure to squeeze all the juices out of the pulp. Add the vinegar and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container and keep refrigerated. Enjoy your shrub by filling a glass with ice, adding a splash of the shrub, and topping it with seltzer and/or liquor of choice.
I love love love fruit shrubs! (Reminds me of kombucha too actually!) Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try making my own at home!
Thank you Sarah! Hope you enjoy it if you get around to trying it :)
I love your suggestions on herbs & aromatics! I’ve made a few kinds of shrubs and really enjoy them.
How long do shrubs last if airtight and refrigerated? And how would one know if a shrub syrup had turned bad?
Hi Julie,
Thank you so much! Most sources say up to a month. I’ve kept mine for up to 2 weeks and they were totally fine. I think you’d be able to tell if it started going bad, it would smell off and maybe start fermenting with bubbles.
Thank You so much for this! I loved a rather questionable combination of pears, cinnamon and mint. Truly refreshing and great to escape the heat. Although I do find it easier to use a blender over a potato masher as I appreciate the skin of the pear in my fruit-shrub. Will definitely make this for my cousins over the vacation!
So glad you enjoyed it! I’ve yet to have a pear shrub, sounds so delicious. And thank you for the blender suggestion!
Do you think any sugar alternatives can be use (honey or maple syrup for example?)
Hi Sarah,
Yes, I think so! I’ve seen some recipes on the internet using both. Here’s an example that looks delicious: https://bojongourmet.com/cherry-vanilla-maple-shrub-drinking/
Thank you! I recently stopped drinking and this is a wonderful and easy mocktail. I did blueberry, basil, and ginger.
Glad you enjoyed it, Kendall! Your flavor combo sounds delicious :)
I love having this in the fridge all summer. How long does it keep? Thanks!
Hi Kendall,
So glad you like it! Providing that the jar was really clean and is tightly sealed in the fridge, the shrub can last up to a few months.