I very rarely (if ever) drink alcohol, so I’m always playing around with alcohol-free beverages that still have a celebratory air about them. Fruit shrubs (aka drinking vinegars) are one I turn to throughout the year, using all manner of seasonal fruit and flavourings. Here I’ve kept it simple with raspberries and a little orange zest, but you could use any berry you have on hand. Freshly picked blackberries make an amazing shrub if you have access to lots of them, or try blueberries, strawberries or black currants. You can increase the amount of sugar if you like things a little sweeter and of course, if you’re making for a crowd this recipe can easily be doubled or quadrupled. Makes 1 cup syrup, enough for 4-6 drinks
Ingredients
125g(1 cup)raspberriesfresh or frozen
65g1/3 cupraw caster sugar
finely grated zest 1 orange
125ml(1/2 cup)apple cider vinegar
sparkling waterto serve
Instructions
Combine berries, sugar and zest in a bowl and mix well to combine. Cover and set aside on the bench 2-4 hours before transferring to the fridge overnight. The next day add apple cider vinegar, mix well then pass through a fine sieve, pressing firmly to extract as much flavour as possible. You should only be left with the seeds and zest to compost.
Transfer syrup to a glass jar or bottle. It will store happily in the fridge for a week or two (normally I’d say indefinitely for shrubs, but this one has a lot of fruit pulp in it so it won’t keep as long). To serve, pour 1-3 tablespoons syrup into a glass and top up with chilled sparkling or still water.
Notes
This recipe was originally created for and featured in Nourish Magazine, NZ.