An old-fashioned shrub (now popular again for cocktails) is a fruit syrup that's preserved with vinegar and mixed with water or alcohol. A proper shrub has a flavour that is tart and sweet, so it stimulates the appetite while quenching the thirst, and is the perfect way to utilise less-than-perfect berries and fruit.
Ingredients
| 500 g | Plums, chopped and pitted (Main) |
| 250 g | Strawberries, diced small (Main) |
| 150 g | Blackberries (Main) |
| 300 g | Caster sugar |
| 1 ½ cups | Apple cider vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar (Main) |
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Directions
- Mash plums, strawberries, blackberries and castor sugar together with your (clean) hands. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
- Strain fruit and juices through a muslin bag, gently squeezing out as much juice as possible (approximately 3 cups). Discard solids.
- Add apple cider vinegar or white balsamic vinegar to juice, whisk together and pour into a large sterilised jar and chill (will last a couple of months in the fridge). To make thirst-quenching summer drinks, fill a tall glass with ice, add a little syrup and top up with soda water. Try it mixed into chilled iced tea, with bubbles, or in refreshing rum or gin cocktails.
