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HISTORY UNPLUGGED – SHRUBS AND DRINKING VINEGARS – APRIL 3, 2020
18TH CENTURY PERIOD SHRUB RECIPES
The Complete Family-Piece: And, Country Gentleman, and Farmer’s Best Guide (1737)
Take 2 Quarts of Brandy, and put it in a large Bottle, and put into it the Juice of 5 Lemons, the Peels of 2, half a Nutmeg; stop it up, and let it stand three Days, and add to it three Pints of White-Wine, a pound and half of Sugar; mix it, and strain it twice through a Flannel, and bottle it up; ‘tis a pretty Wine and a Cordial.
The English Housewifery, 3 Edition by Elisabeth Moxon (1775)
To Make Orange Shrub
Take Seville organs whey they are full ripe, to three dozen oranges put half a dozen of large lemons, pare them very thin, the thinner the better, squeeze the lemons and oranges together, strain the juice thro’ a hair sieve, to a quart of the juice put a pound and a quarter of loaf sugar; about three dozen of oranges (if they be good) will make a quart of juice, to every quart of juice, put a gallon of brandy, put it into a little barrel with an open bung with all the chippings of your oranges, and bug it up close; when it is fine bottle it.
This is a pleasant dram, and ready for punch all the year.
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MODERN RECIPES
BASIC SHRUB RECIPE
Ingredients: Any Fruit (usually chopped) Vinegar (Apple Cider or Champagne) Sugar
1. Mix equal parts chopped fruit of choice and sugar together; cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
2. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, reserving the syrup and any undissolved sugar that may still be in the container.
3. To the syrup, add an equal amount of vinegar and stir to combine and dissolve any remaining sugar.
4. Transfer the shrub to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
Suggested fruits for making shrubs:
Strawberry Raspberry Blackberry Blueberry Lemon Watermelon Cantaloupe Honeydew Cucumber Cherry Peach Apricot Nectarine Plum Pineapple
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SHRUB COOLER
Ingredients: 2 ounces shrub of choice 1 cup still or sparkling water
1. Pour the shrub into a pint glass full of ice and top with the still or sparkling water. Stir to combine.
CONCORD GRAPE SHRUB
Ingredients: 1 lb. Concord Grapes, lightly mashed ½ cup Sugar ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1. Place grapes and sugar into a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Allow to macerate for a day.
2. Position a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl and pour the mixture through to remove the solids
3. Combine strained syrup with vinegar. Whisk well to incorporate any undissolved sugar. You may have some sugar clinging to the grape solids in the strainer. If so, set the strainer with the solids over another small bowl. Pour the syrup-and-vinegar mixture over the solids to wash the sugar into the bowl. Repeat as needed.
4. Pour syrup-and-vinegar mixture into a clean bottle. Cap it, shake it well to incorporate any undissolved sugar, and place in the refrigerator for a week before using.
***Works well with white wine, champagne, or a dry vermouth.
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GRAPEFRUIT SHRUB
Ingredients: 2 large Grapefruits ¾ cup Turbinado Sugar ¾ cup Champagne Vinegar
1. Zest grapefruits and cover peels with the Turbinado Sugar. Muddle them together and then cover them with plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature for at least an hour. After 1 hour (or longer), remove peels from bowl and discard, reserving the oily sugar. This mixture is called an oleo-saccharum.
2. Juice the grapefruits. Add juice to vinegar and oleo-saccharum. Blend to combine. Add to a jar or bottle, seal it, and shake to further blend ingredients. Allow 2 to 3 days for flavors to meld.
***Works well with white wine, champagne, gin, or vodka.
LEMON-LIME SHRUB
Ingredients: 5-6 lemons (should yield 1 cup juice) ¾ cup Turbinado Sugar ½ cup lime juice ¾ cup Champagne Vinegar
1. Zest lemons and cover peels with the Turbinado Sugar. Muddle them together and then cover them with plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature for at least an hour. After 1 hour (or longer), remove peels from bowl and discard, reserving the oily sugar. This mixture is called an oleo-saccharum.
2. Juice the lemons. Add juice to vinegar and oleo-saccharum. Blend to combine. Add to a jar or bottle, seal it, and shake to further blend ingredients. Allow 2 to 3 days for flavors to meld.
***Works well with white wine, champagne, gin, or vodka. MIDDLETON PLACE
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ORANGE SHRUB
Ingredients: 5-6 medium Oranges (should yield 1 ½ cups juice) ½ cup Turbinado Sugar ¾ cup Champagne Vinegar
1. Zest oranges and cover peels with the Turbinado Sugar. Muddle them together and then cover them with plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature for at least an hour. After 1 hour (or longer), remove peels from bowl and discard, reserving the oily sugar. This mixture is called an oleo-saccharum.
2. Juice the oranges. Add juice to vinegar and oleo-saccharum. Blend to combine. Add to a jar or bottle, seal it, and shake to further blend ingredients. Allow 2 to 3 days for flavors to meld.
****Works well with bourbon, rum, Grand Marnier, Pimm’s, champagne, or other liquor or liqueur.
GINGER SHRUB
Ingredients: ½ cup Ginger Juice ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar 1/3 cup Sugar
1. Combine Ginger Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Sugar in a bottle or jar. Shake to combine.
***Works well with a Dry Riesling, gin, bourbon, vodka, or rum.
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SOUR CHERRY SHRUB
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups Sour Cherries ½ cup Sugar ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1. Place cherries and sugar into a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Allow to macerate for a day.
2. Position a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl and pour the mixture through to remove the solids
3. Combine strained syrup with vinegar. Whisk well to incorporate any undissolved sugar. You may have some sugar clinging to the grape solids in the strainer. If so, set the strainer with the solids over another small bowl. Pour the syrup-and-vinegar mixture over the solids to wash the sugar into the bowl. Repeat as needed.
4. Pour syrup-and-vinegar mixture into a clean bottle. Cap it, shake it well to incorporate any undissolved sugar, and place in the refrigerator for a week before using.
****Works well with bourbon or rye, or just on its own. It would also be fabulous, like most fruit shrubs are, served over ice cream.