From Our State’s A Taste of Our State series. Click here to read or listen to contributor Sheri Castle’s column from the April 2025 issue.
Shrub is a syrup made from vinegar, sugar, and ripe fruit. When diluted with water, preferably carbonated, you get a refreshing sweet-tart treat. Think of shrub as a cousin to homemade lemonade. When we consider that fresh lemon juice, like vinegar, is too tart and acidic to drink solo, yet delightful when sweetened and swirled into cold water, it’s easy to envision an enjoyable vinegar-based beverage.
Shrub recipes have been around for generations. They were originally a way to preserve just-picked berries and stone fruit that surged into ripeness in warm months. Shrubs began popping up again in recent years as part of the craft cocktail movement and the renaissance of fermented foods touted for their health benefits.
There are cooked shrub syrups, but this cold-press method is quick and easy. It also protects the pure, bright fruit flavor. Make sure the fruit is dead-ripe. You’ll discover your preferred ratio of shrub to water as you experiment with them, but 1 part shrub to 3 parts seltzer is a good starting point.
Yield: Makes about 1½ cups.
1 cup crushed berries or finely chopped stone fruit, such as peaches, plums, or cherries
1 cup granulated cane sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or fruit vinegar (not distilled white vinegar)
In a glass bowl, stir together the fruit and sugar. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least overnight or up to 48 hours, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing gently on the solids to remove as much liquid as possible without forcing fruit pulp through the strainer. Scrape any undissolved sugar into the strained juice. Stir in vinegar. Transfer to a clean bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid. Discard strained solids or eat them as a cook’s treat.
Refrigerate covered for at least 3 days before serving, shaking gently from time to time. Sometimes a little sugar will settle to the bottom, although eventually, the acidity of the vinegar will dissolve it. New shrub is pungent and quite tart, but the flavor mellows and harmonizes over time. Shrub syrup can keep for up to one year.
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