Homemade Drink Infusion: A Recipe Combining Strawberries and Fresh Herbs for a Refreshing Beverage
Sip on this badass berry brew - a tantalizing blend of sweet strawberries and soothing herbs, kissed with raw honey. Steeped with chamomile, thyme, and schisandra berries, it's an invigorating, tangy concoction ideal for spring and summer days.
Shrubs - these old-school vinegar-based concoctions have been around for centuries, and this herbal version radiates timeless charm, harking back to old-timey herbal tonics and kitchen alchemy. With their mystical elixir-like mix of vinegar, fruit, and herbs, there's no denying the magical allure of these bad boys. Or perhaps it's their carefree beginnings - just a sprinkle of time does the heavy lifting, leaving you with more time to indulge in your favorite pastimes.
What's more? It's oh-so-delicious. This one's my fave. Perfect for the early spring, it's brimming with fresh strawberries and a spread of herbs. It's a modern adaptation of a similar recipe I featured in my third cookbook, Vibrant Botanicals.
Ingredients + Substitutes
The strawberries lend the shrub its main flavor - bright and fruity with a subtle pink hue. Strawberries aside, the shrub base consists of herbs, vinegar, and honey.
Chamomile, thyme, and Schisandra berries elevate the flavors, adding depth and a fresh, floral, slightly resinous taste. But that's not all - these herbs also work wonders for your nervous system, making this brew a nerve tonic, albeit a tasty one.
Apple cider vinegar acts as the ultimate flavor fixer. As the berries and herbs steep, the vinegar absorbs their taste and color. Red or white wine vinegar make good substitutes too.
Raw honey sweetens the mix. Opt for equal parts vinegar and honey. If you don't have honey handy, cane sugar is a suitable alternative.
Herbal Highlights
- Chamomile: This light, floral herb is known for its calming properties, aiding digestion and relaxation.
- Thyme: A woodsy, aromatic herb with gentle warming properties, often used for respiratory health and grounding blends.
- Schisandra: Known as the "five-flavor berry" in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it's an adaptogen believed to support stress resilience and liver health. It adds complex tart notes to the brew.
- Strawberries: More than just sweet and fruity, they have been used in European folk medicine for centuries to aid digestion, tone skin, and soothe inflammation.
Making a Shrub
Stemming from centuries ago, shrubs are created by infusing fruit and sometimes herbs in vinegar, then sweetening the mixture with honey or sugar. This herbal brew is essentially an oxymel, an ancient herbal preparation that combines vinegar and honey. The acid in the vinegar aids in preserving the fruit and releasing its flavor, while the sweetener mellows out its intense sourness.
The two primary shrub-making methods are:
- The hot method, which involves cooking the fruit into a syrup before adding vinegar.
- The cold infusion method, which calls for steeping raw fruit and herbs in vinegar over time. This recipe uses the cold method, ideal for preserving the delicate aromatics of strawberries and herbs.
After allowing the fruit and herbs to steep in vinegar for about a month, you'll strain the solids and add honey. The result is a stunning ruby-hued syrup that's complex and refreshing.
How to Use This Shrub
- Sip it: Savor it with still or warm water for a springtime Mood Booster.
- Fizz it up: Stir 1-2 tablespoons into sparkling water for a botanical soda.
- Mix it: Stir 1-2 tablespoons into homemade water kefir or kombucha.
- Cocktail time: Add a splash to gin or vodka with lime juice for a nerve-soothing cocktail.
- Dress up: Mix with olive oil and Dijon mustard for a dynamite vinaigrette and drizzle over fresh greens.
- Dress up desserts: Drizzle it over fresh berries or stone fruits.
Heads Up
Remember to wait to add the honey until after you've strained the vinegar. This helps preserve the shrub's flavor and keeps it crystal clear. This final step ensures the flavor remains strong and vibrant, allowing the berries and herbs to shine through.
Rate this Recipe## Kickass Strawberry and Herb Shrub Recipe
Print Save RecipeSaved! Click to Remove Ads### Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 cups strawberries (hulled and quartered)
- 1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons schisandra berries (optional)
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup runny honey
Equipment
- Quart-sized Jar
- Fine-mesh Sieve
Instructions
Preparing the berries and herbs.
- Toss the strawberries, chamomile, thyme, and schisandra in a quart-sized jar.
Adding vinegar.
- Dump in the vinegar, seal the jar with a non-reactive lid, and store it far from light and heat for one month. Give the jar a good shake daily.
Finishing the shrub.
- After a month, strain the vinegar, chucking the solid bits. Mix the honey into the infused vinegar. Seal tightly with a non-reactive lid and stash in the cupboard away from light and heat for up to 1 year.
- This famous shrub recipe, a modern adaptation from the third cookbook "Vibrant Botanicals", features a delicious blend of strawberries, chamomile, thyme, schisandra berries, and apple cider vinegar, creating a refreshing and tangy beverage ideal for spring and summer days.
- The herbs used in this recipe, such as chamomile, thyme, and Schisandra, not only add depth and a unique taste to the shrub but also offer numerous health benefits, acting as nerve tonics and aiding digestion.
- Whether you're sipping it as a springtime Mood Booster, fizzing it up for a botanical soda, or mixing it into a nerve-soothing cocktail, this herbal shrub recipe is versatile and adapts easily to various food-and-drink and health-and-wellness lifestyles.
- With its intriguing mix of vinegar, fruit, and herbs, this shrub is a testament to the science of cooking and the mystical allure of kitchen alchemy, harking back to old-timey herbal tonics and timeless charm.
