Easy And Delicious Strawberry Shrub Recipe

Two glasses of pink strawberry shrub are sitting side by side on a table. A bottle of shrub is behind them.

Easy And Delicious Strawberry Shrub Recipe

Beat the heat with a delicious strawberry shrub. It's easy to make, and provides plenty of beneficial bacteria with every sip.

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: English

Keyword: Fermentation, Fermented Drinks, Wild Fermentation

Prep Time: 10

Fermentation Time: 3

Total Time: 3 10

Servings: people

Calories: 40kcal

Author: Gabby Campbell

Equipment

1 Medium-sized bowl

Ingredients

2 cups strawberries, ripe
1 cup raw sugar (see note 1)
2 cups apple cider vinegar, raw and unfiltered

Instructions

Wash the strawberries and cut the green tops off (see the notes section below for how to use these!)
Cut larger strawberries in halves or quarters and add to a medium bowl or large, clean jar.
Crush the berries just a little using a muddler or a fork and pour the sugar over.
Mix the strawberries and sugar together then cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel (tea towel) and leave to soak at room temperature for 2 - 5 days (see note 1 below). Stir the mix several times each day to help dissolve as much of the sugar as possible and initiate fermentation.
When the syrup tastes mildly tart (days 2 to 5), pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag and catch the liquid in a bowl (this is the shrub mixture you’ll use as a base for drinks).
Gently press on the strawberries with a spatula to get out as much liquid as possible. Avoid pushing through any fruit pulp, as it’s just the liquid that’s needed. Either keep the strawberries to have with yoghurt or discard them.
Measure out the strawberry liquid and add an equal amount of vinegar to it then pour the finished shrub into a big glass bottle and store in the fridge for several months.
To enjoy, pour a little of the shrub into a tall glass with some ice and chopped extra strawberries then top with plain or bubbly water. It can also be used to add plenty of flavour to sauces, marinades and salad dressings.

Video

Notes

Note 1: The sweetness can be adjusted in this recipe to suit your preference. One cup of sugar will give you a shrub that’s more tart and ferments faster - roughly 2-3 days. This can be increased to 1.5 or 2 cups of sugar if you would like a shrub that's much sweeter, while still remaining a little bit tart. More sugar means the strawberries will take longer to ferment, roughly 3-5 days depending on how hot it is where you are.

One cup is the minimum I suggest using to ensure the fermentation process is not affected. While either amount is a lot of sugar, just keep in mind a shrub is used just like cordial. You’re generally only adding a small amount as the base of a larger drink. Though on occasion – a small glass of straight strawberry shrub is delicious!

Using The Green Strawberry Tops

Don't let these go to waste! Add them to a large glass jar and cover with white wine, champagne, or apple cider vinegar. Leave to infuse for 2 days then strain and keep the liquid once it's turned pink. Now you'll have strawberry apple cider vinegar to use as you like!

Nutrition