There’s no such thing as too many strawberries, but there is such a thing as an awful lot of strawberries.
In these first few gratefully gobbled-up moments of spring produce and clement weather, some of us tend to go overboard with our market purchases or U-Pick hauls. (Speaking for my friends, of course.)
And while there’s always pie or jam or eating entire pints right then and there at the kitchen counter, we can also help manage our extravagant piles of produce the old-fashioned way: by turning them into a strawberry shrub.
Shrubs are nothing more than a Colonial-era method of preserving fruit by soaking it in vinegar for an extended period of time, turning the natural sugars in the fruit into a tangy syrup.
Sometimes additional sugar and alcohol are involved, sometimes a few extra spices for flavor, but that’s the gist of it.
Shrubs are sometimes known these days as “drinking vinegars,” which I’m not quite sure makes for a more enticing name.
I personally don’t mind drinking vinegar–in my carefree youth, I would grab a basket of fresh-cut fries from the Potato Patch at Kennywood and a little paper cup of malt vinegar, then take turns eating a fry and sipping the vinegar.
But I’m a weirdo. And for the likely larger part of the population who doesn’t sip malt vinegar from a paper cup, a shrub (as well as its kissing cousin, the switchel) sounds way more festive to my ears.
And whatever you want to call it, it’s also music to my tastebuds. The pungent acidity of vinegar is softened by the fruits floating in it, providing that sweet-tart balance I can’t get enough of.
Most shrub recipes call for a long maceration time–up to a week in some cases–to incorporate as much sweet goodness as possible from the fruit being preserved.
But I get impatient with the process and always look for ways to speed things up.
Though I have used cooked simple syrup to bring flavor and sweetness to the drink without a lengthy rest time, as in my grapefruit shrub recipe, the following strawberry shrub recipe follows more of a traditional method.
Luckily, in-season strawberries have so much juicy flavor that it doesn’t take too long to pull everything tasty out of each berry.
How to use your strawberry shrub? Almost any way you want, honestly.
Though strawberries are exceedingly sweet and Champagne vinegar is one of the most delicately acidic vinegars out there, it’s still going to be a strong mix-in for your drinks.
If you’re brave or super vinegar-loving, mixing it with plain seltzer is the most basic way to get the full shrub effect. But you can also use it with other beverages, like…
ginger beer for a switchel-inspired kick (I like Maine Root’s version)
plain old homemade iced tea! or mint tea!
Try about 2 fluid ounces shrub (that’s 1/4 cup in volumetric measurement) with 6 fluid ounces (3/4 cup) other liquid as a starting point, and adjust to your taste from there.
Quick(ish) Strawberry Shrub
Yield: a little more than 3 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 2 days
Total Time: 2 days15 minutes
This quick(ish) strawberry shrub comes together in 15 minutes and only needs to rest for 2 days before you've got your own sweet-and-sour drinking vinegar.
Ingredients
2 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 cups Champagne vinegar
1 cup (7 ounces; 200 grams) granulated sugar
4 bay leaves
Instructions
Stir all the ingredients together in a nonreactive bowl or pot—i.e. stainless steel, glass, or ceramic. Don't use aluminum, since the vinegar will react to it, and don't use plastic unless you want it to smell like your shrub forevermore.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid. This is why I use my All-Clad 3-quart stainless stockpot for the job, since it's got a great lid and I know no bugs will penetrate the barrier. But if you feel confident that a piece of plastic wrap will be sufficient on a Pyrex bowl, more power to you.
Let the shrub sit for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours, gently stirring it periodically. The sugar will dissolve fairly quickly in the process, and the strawberry pieces will slowly become softer and more translucent as they macerate in the liquid.
Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour in all the strawberries and liquid.
Let everything drain on its own; pressing the strawberries through the strainer might force bits of strawberry pulp and seeds into your shrub, which is not as visually appealing.
Store the shrub in the refrigerator in a sealed jar for up to 1 month.
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Combine the strawberry syrup and strawberry infused vinegar. This shrub will last in the refrigerator for at least 6 months till a year. Keep in mind that the flavors will mellow with time.
Vinegar: The majority of shrubs are made with apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar. Some use balsamic vinegar. While distilled white vinegar is fine, the extra flavors of the other options are preferred.
Refrigerate, shaking bottle periodically until sugar is completely dissolved, about 1 week. The shrub can be refrigerated for up to 1 year; the acid and sugar preserves the syrup and keeps it tasting bright and fresh.
Syrups are only sweet, but shrubs have both sweet and tart. We recommend adding equal parts shrub concentrate to spirit. If adding juice or simple syrup, reduce the amount of syrup and add a lemon juice or bitters to cut the sweetness. Add fresh fruit, herbs, or vegetables to round out your drink.
What is the difference between a shrub and kombucha? In a nutshell, shrubs are fruity concoctions of fruit, sugar, and vinegar without the fermentation process, while kombucha is a fermented tea drink enriched with probiotics, thanks to the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY).
DO I NEED TO REFRIGERATE MY SHRUBS? Because vinegar is a low pH, acidic preservative you do not need to refrigerate your shrubs. Some people may prefer to enjoy them cold, but they are shelf stable and will be fine in the pantry.
The word “shrub” is derived from the Arabic word “sharbah,” which translates as “drink.” Even sailors from the 16th-18th centuries drank shrubs to prevent scurvy! Today, they are infused with every flavor one can imagine and lauded for their health benefits, some even claiming weight loss.
Vinegar is non-selective, meaning it will damage any plants and turf grass it touches, not just the weeds you are trying to kill. When you spray the vinegar onto weeds, make sure it isn't hitting other plants. If that isn't possible, paint the vinegar onto the weeds with a brush.
Packed with blueberries' antioxidants, fiber, potassium and vitamin C, this shrub maintains the integrity of the fruit to help lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood, decreasing the risk of heart disease.
Water your shrub thoroughly to help with the growth process, and then prune out any lingering dead stems that didn't sprout new leaves. Saturated soil surrounding your brown shrubs is a sign of overwatering. Let up on the hydration until the soil dries out.
Thankfully, the answer is often yes. Whether they were damaged in a drought or a hard overnight freeze, most regional trees, shrubs and flowers can be nursed back to vitality – if you know how. When considering how to bring your shrubs back to life, it is important to determine the cause of the blight.
Newly planted trees or shrubs require more frequent watering than established trees and shrubs. They should be watered at planting time and at these intervals: 1-2 weeks after planting, water daily.3-12 weeks after planting, water every 2 to 3 days.
Research in woody plant nutrition has shown however that nitrogen is the element that yields the greatest growth response in trees and shrubs. For this reason, high nitrogen fertilizers with N-P-K ratios of 4-1-1, 3-1-1 or 3-1-2 are generally recommended for feeding established woody plants.
In terms of drinks, a shrub is a non-alcoholic syrup made of a combination of concentrated fruits, aromatics, sugar, and vinegar. This sweet, yet acidic mixer is traditionally enjoyed as a component of a mixed drink with soda water.
Although I'm usually a fan of using fresh ingredients, frozen fruit/berries actually work well and sometimes give a little more juice (don't tell!). I combine the shrub with sparkling water to make a nice soda. It can also be used in co*cktails and salad dressing.
How Long Does A Shrub Last In The Fridge? Filled and tightly sealed in a jar, shrubs last about 6 months in the refrigerator if used sparingly. With more frequent use, similar to other condiments that are kept refrigerated, shrubs last 6-8 weeks.
They can be safely stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks. Remove the strawberry plants from storage when ready to plant. Trim off the older leaves, place the roots of the plants in water for an hour, then plant immediately. Set each plant in the ground so the crown of the plant is even with the soil surface.
Our shrubs will keep for 24 months unopened and unrefrigerated (see best by date on bottle). Once you open them, we do recommend keeping them in the fridge. They should be good for another 9-12 months once you open them but let's hope you need more before then!
Under ideal conditions, a strawberry plant can live up to 5-6 years. After 3 productive years, however, they usually begin to lose vigor, and the production of strawberries begins to decline rapidly.
Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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