Fruit and Herb Shrub Vinegar Master Recipe

“Master Recipe” = Use Any Combo of Fruit and Herbs You Want

I have a few “master recipes” on our website. The most popular is my Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread Recipe (Master Recipe). Basically, a master recipe is any recipe I share that you can customize! With this shrub vinegar master recipe, you can use any combination of fruit and herbs to create any flavor shrub you want to try. When you customize the recipe, just use the amounts listed. For herbs, use a total of 1/2 cup. If you want to use a mix of herbs, still use a half cup total.

Pictured here in this blog is my go-to winter shrub combination: mandarins, calendula, and turmeric.

Shrub Vinegar Main Ingredients

Apart from the fruit and herbs you choose, the other main ingredients in a shrub are organic cane sugar and vinegar. With shrubs, we are not fermenting vinegar; we are using already fermented vinegar to make a herbal, fruity, beneficial, and sweet drinking vinegar.

Should You Use Fresh or Dried Herbs for Shrub Vinegar

I love using dried herbs. That’s because dried herbs are usually what I have on hand. I have a tea pantry stocked with quite a collection of dried medicinal herbs. So I like to pull from what I have when making shrubs and oxymel. I’ll use fresh for some though. Like for a melon and basil shrub, I think basil is best fresh.

For dried herbs, I source from Starwest Botanicals.

How To Drink Shrub Vinegar

While you can, I don’t recommend drinking it straight up, as it’s very acidic. It’s best enjoyed as a mixer. My go-to is drinking three tablespoons of shrub vinegar topped with sparkling water. Usually in a 12-ounce glass. You can mix it into some still water or apple juice, too. Any way you mix it, it’s a great apéritif (pre-meal digestive drink).

The Medicinal Health Benefits of Shrub

Shrub is very beneficial for digestion and overall health! I can’t go around saying it will heal anything, because that’s not how it works. But it has many health benefits!

Drinking vinegar before meals helps with blood sugar levels by reducing the glycemic response to starchy foods, which can be beneficial for those with diabetes and heart disease. The acetic acid in vinegar also stimulates digestion, helps break down food, and can alleviate digestive issues (like gas).

The fruit and herb components of the shrub add vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which may help with inflammation and other various ailments, depending on the herbs/fruit you use.

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Fruit and Herb Shrub Vinegar Master Recipe

This is a master recipe for making shrub vinegar with fruits and herbs. I call this a master recipe because you can use it to create any flavor combination you would like! and I’ve included my favorite shrub vinegar flavors in the recipe notes.

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• Prep: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 48 hours 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 cups any organic fresh fruit (berries, mandarins, peaches, pineapple etc. washed, peeled and sliced)
• 2 cups vinegar of your choice (I like apple cider vinegar or kombucha vinegar)
• 1 cup organic white cane sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh or dried herbs (or a mix, rinse any fresh herbs you use)

Instructions

1. Place fruit and herbs in a clean glass jar with a lid (this recipe should fit in a quart or larger).
2. Combine the sugar and the vinegar.
3. Pour the vinegar mix over the fruit and herbs. Stir to combine.
4. Cover the fruit and vinegar mixture with a lid and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 days or up to 30 days. (The longer it sits, the more intense the fruit flavor.)
5. When your shrub is ready, line a colander with cheese cloth and place over a bowl. Pour the shrub through to strain off all the solids.
6. Compost/discard the leftover fruit and herb solids.
7. Use the shrub as a base for mocktails and cocktails. I like put three tablespoons of shrub in a 12-ouce glass and top off with carbonated water. (this is great as an apéritif!)
8. If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a 5-star review below.

Notes

• the flavor pictured in this blog is mandarin, calendula, and turmeric.
• when using citrus, I rinse and scrub the peels and throw in a few peel pieces too. Peels add bitterness, so add with caution.
• yes, you can use honey or maple instead of sugar.
• Other combos I love:
  • honeydew melon and basil
  • blackberry and thyme
  • rosemary, ginger and grapefruit
  • pineapple jalapeno
  • cucumber basil

Kaitlynn Fenley Food Microbiologist and Fermentation Specialist

Kaitlynn is a Food Microbiologist and FSPCA-certified fermentation specialist. An alumna of the LSU College of Science, she combines her academic background in microbiology with her Cajun heritage to create safe and delicious recipes.

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