Easy Fruit Shrub Recipe (Drinking Vinegar)
Learn how to make a fruit shrub (aka drinking vinegar) with our easy flexible recipe! Use any fruit you fancy - peaches, plums, strawberries, etc - plus optional herbs or spices. Shrubs are a concentrated, gut-healthy, sweet and sour natural syrup and are delicious added to cocktails, mocktails, sparkling water, salad dressing and more.
Equipment
- non-reactive mixing bowl
- fine mesh strainer (or regular strainer + cheesecloth)
- Liquid measuring cup
- glass bottle or jar for storage
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh fruit of choice, chopped (about 1 pound after prepping). The best fruit for shrubs include stone fruit and berries: strawberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or apricots. You can also try pears, figs, apples, melons, pomegranates, grapes, cranberries, or a combination of a few!
- 1 cup honey, cane sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or other sugar of choice (can use up to double if you want it sweeter)
- 2 cups raw apple cider vinegar - amount is approximate and added to taste at the end
- Optional herbs or spices (add a small amount of one or two complimentary flavors) such as ginger, cinnamon, mint, lemon verbena, cardamom, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, basil, lavender buds, thyme, lemon balm, rosemary, lemon or orange peel zest, hot chili peppers and more
Instructions
Macerate Fruit
- Wash and chop your fruit into fairly small pieces. It’s fine to leave the skins on stone fruit, or leave small berries whole.
- Add the chopped fruit to a non-reactive mixing bowl and then pour over the honey, or toss the fruit with your sugar of choice. Also add any optional herbs or spices at this time.
- Lightly muddle and mash the fruit. Use the back of a large spoon, potato masher, or kraut pounder.
- Cover bowl and let it sit at room temperature for several hours. Then transfer to the refrigerator to rest overnight, or for up to three days. Stir once or twice a day.
Strain and Press
- Position a fine mesh strainer over a bowl below (or a regular strainer lined with cheesecloth) and then pour the mixture through
- Use a large spoon or other utensil to stir and press the fruit out very well. Or, squeeze the heck out of your cheesecloth! Take your time to extract as much syrupy liquid as possible, including any clinging to the underside of the strainer.
- Discard or compost the leftover fruit bits, or save it enjoy over ice cream or plain yogurt.
Add Vinegar
- Transfer the strained fruit syrup from the bowl into a large glass measuring cup and note the volume. (We ended up with about 2.5 cups of strained plum-honey syrup for this batch.)
- Next, add approximately equal parts vinegar to syrup (e.g. 2 cups of strained fruit syrup and 2 cups of apple cider vinegar) – but do so slowly, tasting as you go to adjust to your personal preference. Stir well to combine.
- Transfer the finished fruit shrub into a glass jar or bottle with a lid.
Storage and Use
- Store homemade fruit shrubs in a glass container with an airtight lid in the refrigerator, where they should last for several months (the more vinegar you used, the longer it will last - up to 6 months or longer).
- To use, mix in about 1 to 2 tablespoons (1/2 to 1 ounce) of fruit shrub to 6 or 8 ounces of sparkling water, still water, iced tea, or any other cocktail or mocktail of choice. Start light and give it a try – you can always add more!
- You can also use fruit shrubs for culinary creations, in homemade salad dressing or vinaigrettes, marinades, and other sauces, drizzled over ice cream or other desserts, or in a smoothie.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!