Blueberry Shrub Recipes

BLACKBERRY SHRUB

Steps:

• Place fruit and cinnamon stick in a sterilized pint jar. Bring vinegar just to a boil; pour over fruit, leaving ¼-in. headspace. Center lid on jar; screw on band until fingertip tight. Refrigerate for 1 week., Strain vinegar mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into another sterilized pint jar. Press solids to extract juice; discard remaining fruit., Bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly. Stir into vinegar mixture; shake well. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. , To serve, drink 1-2 tablespoons or add to a glass of ice, top with sparkling water and garnish with fresh blackberries.

BLUEBERRY SHRUB

Steps:

• Combine blueberries and sugar in a saucepan with 1/3 cup water. Cook at a low simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until blueberries are very soft. Strain juice through a fine sieve into a pitcher (or using a funnel, into a clean, empty wine bottle). Press gently with the back of a spoon to release all juice from berries. (If desired, pass juice through a cheesecloth to remove seeds.) Add brandy to pitcher or bottle, and refrigerate. Shrub will keep for several weeks.
• To serve, fill a tall glass with ice. Then fill it halfway with cold water or sparkling water. Top off glass with shrub, and garnish with a mint sprig and a lemon wedge.

BLUEBERRY SHRUB

Steps:

• Place the blueberries in a nonmetallic container. Add the vinegar. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 days.
• Pour the vinegar-marinated blueberries into a sieve over a bowl; press the berries to release all their juice. Discard the solids.
• Pour the blueberry liquid into a medium saucepan. Add the sugar and boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pour the sweetened blueberry liquid into a small container and chill.
• To make each drink, add 1/4 cup blueberry concentrate to a medium cocktail glass filled with ice and add 1 cup cold water. Garnish, if desired.

BLUEBERRY-LAVENDER SHRUB

Steps:

• Place blueberries and sugar into a medium bowl. Crush the berries, and then stir to combine.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Allow to macerate for up to two days.
• Meanwhile, place lavender into a nonreactive container, cover with cider vinegar, and refrigerate for up to two days.
• Position a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl and pour blueberry mixture through to remove solids.
• Strain vinegar mixture over the same mesh strainer, into same bowl as blueberry syrup. Allow to combine.
• You may have some sugar clinging to the berry 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.
• Pour syrup-and-vinegar mixture into a sanitized mason jar. Cap it, shake it well to incorporate any undissolved sugar, and place in the refrigerator for a week before using.
• Discard the solids or save them for another use.