I know, I know - more rhubarb. But like I mentioned, the patch at my in-laws house is huge. And rhubarb is surprisingly expensive in supermarkets. So I needed to take advantage of it.
Shrubs are a traditional preservation technique for fruit that use a combination of sugar and vinegar to macerate fruit and pull out their essential flavor. The end result is a syrup, but not nearly as cloyingly sweet and cooked as traditional syrups - since they aren’t cooked they taste of fresh, ripe fruit, and the vinegar helps balance the sweetness. I opted to add some strawberries that were languishing in the fridge to my rhubarb shrub, resulting in the drinkable version of everyone’s favorite pie.
The downside of shrubs is that they take a little patience - full infusions take time- so you need to plan ahead. The good thing, though, is that they're insanely flexible (I've forgotten about my infusing fruit for up to a week with no ill-effects) and last almost forever once they're made (the combination of acid + sugar is pretty inhospitable to pathogens).
I also really love that you can make a less-sweet, natural ingredient soda with this syrup. My oldest loves a "fizzy water" and a splash of this syrup makes it a little more of a special treat without the high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavorings.
But of course, the real treat is a bit more grown-up: syrup, gin, a bit of lime. Top with seltzer and enjoy, preferably on a patio, preferably with a view, and definitely with a friend.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Shrub
Ingredients
Shrub syrup
- ½ pound rhubarb (225g)
- ½ pound strawberries (225g)
- ½ cup honey (170g)
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar (170ml)
for a soda
- 1 ½ oz shrub syrup (44ml)
- 8 oz seltzer (235ml)
for a cocktail
- 1 ½ oz shrub syrup (44ml)
- 1 ½ oz gin (44ml)
- ½ oz lime juice (14ml)
- lime wedge
- seltzer
Instructions
Make shrub
- Clean and chop rhubarb and strawberries. Place in a quart jar or other container.
- Top fruit with honey. Allow to macerate at room temperature, uncovered, for several hours. Cover jar with an airtight lid and shake well. Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
- Add vinegar to the macerated fruit. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 3 days to allow the vinegar to take on the flavor of the fruit.
- Strain fruit from syrup using a fine-mesh strainer. At this point the fruit has given all it has to give, so it can be discarded. Store shrub in the fridge.
To make a soda
- Place shrub syrup in a glass with ice. Top with seltzer. Stir to combine. Garnish with a lime wedge and strawberry slice
To make a cocktail
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add shrub syrup, gin, and lime juice. Shake well to chill and emulsify. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Top with seltzer and garnish with lime wedge and strawberry slice. Serve.
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