Summer Shrubs 101
vibrant drinking vinegars, tart and sweet
Welcome back to Culture(s)!
This week is all about shrubs, drinking vinegars that use sugar and acid to capture seasonal produce at its best. Unsurprisingly, I love sour and tart drinks and having a variety of shrubs in your home pantry unlocks so much potential. They’re delicious with iced soda water and in cocktails (ofc).
And whilst a summer drink feels miles away as I write this, a constant cold drizzle outside my window, fermenters know that the best time to make something is before you really need it (no time like the present!). And boy oh boy, will you be happy! Beyond drinks, they’re the perfect sweet sour punch to savoury dishes (think salads, marinades, glazes, bbq sauces, etc etc).
So get on this NOW if you want to be ready for the next heat wave!
Kenji
SUMMER SHRUBS 101:
I often talk rations and this one couldn’t be easier:
1 part fruit
1 part sugar
1 part vinegar
Note that this formula is calculated entirely by weight. As with most methods in the preservation department, view this ratio as guidance rather than a hard and fast rule.
For example, more acidic and tart fruits (like pomegranate) may require less vinegar and for more vegetal or less juicy produce (like tomatoes), more sugar could be added to facilitate the maceration or simply let it macerate longer to achieve the liquid extraction.
The beauty of shrubs is that they’re incredibly customisable, and as they’re ultimately diluted when used, they’re remarkably forgiving to make so an excellent medium to be creative with!
Cold Process vs. Cheong (청)
In the world of modern shrubs, there are two main schools of thought in HOW you process the ingredients: hot processing and cold processing.
Hot processing involves simmering your fruit, sugar, and vinegar together on a stove. It’s fast, but cooking completely changes the structure of the fruit (as well as the flavour) into something a bit heavier, jam-like and stewed in profile. There can be a time and place for this but alas, this is not now!
Cold processing also known as cold maceration is the focus here and has a beautiful culinary parallel with cheong (청), the traditional Korean preservation technique.
If you know my work (or my book), you know how much I love making cheongs: layering fresh produce with sugar in equal weight. In both cheongs and cold processed shrubs, sugar acts both as a sweetener but plays an important role in osmosis: the highly concentrated sugar draws out the pure juices and aromatic compounds from the produce cells without muddling the flavour with heat.
Clearly some similarities but the difference lies in time and intent:
Cheong can sit for months, letting the juices slow ferment and mature into an incredibly complex, stable, thick syrup.
Shrubs utilise this exact same osmotic power, but for a condensed period (generally up to 2-3 days). Once the sugar has completely dissolved into a vibrant, raw syrup, we strain out the solids and introduce vinegar. The acid from the vinegar immediately stabilises the syrup, balances the intense sweetness, and creates a refreshing drinking vinegar.
Sugars and Acids
As this is all a balancing act, the specific types of sugar and vinegar you choose will dictate the character of your final shrub.
SUGAR
White Granulated/Caster Sugar: In many ways, this is the most neutral choice and generally what I use when making shrubs. Caster sugar dissolves quickly during cold maceration due to its fine crystal structure. But perhaps most crucially, white sugar does not alter the colour or natural flavour profile of your produce.
Demerara/Brown Sugar: These introduce deep molasses and caramel notes. They are incredible if you are making stone-fruit shrubs (like peaches and apricots) or with tomatoes, which I explore below, but they will dull the bright visual aesthetic of lighter fruits.
VINEGAR
Apple Cider Vinegar: This is the main vinegar I use at home: accessible, affordable, and has a rounded fruity profile which works well with pretty much all shrub combinations.
White Wine Vinegar: I’d go with this one when I want a neutral flavour but also do not want to impact the shrub’s final colour.
Red Wine Vinegar: Obviously more robust and slightly tannic, this works nicely with heavier profiles like cherries or blackberries.
Balsamic: I find this too dominant and syrupy for effective shrubs.
Summer Shrubs
Below are the three recipes featured on my feed this week. A few general notes:
All were scaled for 500ml jars (unless noted)
From start to “finish” (ie, when I moved it into the fridge for the final maturation) the below processes took 3 days.
Once strained, the solids can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Taste them - you may want to compost the fractured pomegranate seeds (although do try the ginger!) but the strawberries and tomatoes are gorgeous: almost candied and perfect for garnishing summer drinks, salads, or bakes.
Strawberry, Thai Basil, Black Pepper
Everyone’s favourite shrub - a crowd pleaser and definitely the one to start with if you’re new to the art of shrubs. Black pepper and basil (here, Thai basil) make all the difference but this will also be very nice just with strawberries.
300g strawberries, green leaves left on and cut into eighths (remember that smaller pieces means more surface area and quicker liquid extraction)
300g white sugar
300g apple cider vinegar (white wine vinegar would work well)
Handful Thai basil leaves (normal will work too)
A few cracks of freshly ground black pepper
Process:
In a glass bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, and black pepper. Toss well and cover tightly. Leave this at room temperature for ~2 days. During this time, the sugar will extract the strawberry juices and create a syrup. You can give it the occasional stir to ensure the sugar fully dissolves.
After this period, add the basil leaves for the final 24 hour period of the infusion. I do not add them from the beginning since I do not want the basil leaves to oxidise and become a bit muddy (in colour and taste).
Strain the syrup through a fine sieve and gently press the fruit to extract the liquid (but do not force any solids through which will cloud the shrub). Mix in the vinegar and jar it up. Leave in the fridge for ~1 week to mature before enjoying.
Pomegranate Ginger
Tart, beautifully pink, and carrying a lingering, gingery heat that grounds the sweetness. Note that I used a 250ml jar for this one as I had access to a smaller volume of pomegranate seeds. As always, you can easily scale if needed!
100g fresh pomegranate seeds
10g fresh ginger, thinly sliced in coins
100g white sugar
75g apple cider vinegar (reduced slightly due to pomegranate’s own acidity)
Process:
In a glass bowl, combine the pomegranate seeds, sugar, and ginger. Use a wooden spoon to muddle and break down the pomegranate seeds to release their juice. I find the abrasiveness of the sugar to help with this process. Cover tightly and leave this at room temperature for ~2 days. During this time, the sugar will continue to extract juice and the ginger should appear wrinkly due to osmosis.
Strain the syrup through a fine sieve and gently press the fruit to extract the liquid (but do not force any solids through which will cloud the shrub). Mix in the vinegar and jar it up. Leave in the fridge for ~1 week to mature before enjoying.
Tomato Rosemary
Is this rogue? Who knows but it’s very nice. Basil would be the obvious pairing for tomatoes, but fresh rosemary brings a savoury piney note which cuts through the tomato’s umami. Here I’ve done a combination of both white and brown sugar which adds a nice caramel tone to the shrub. This one is particularly good in dressings and marinades.
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
150g white sugar
150g brown sugar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
300g apple cider vinegar (white wine vinegar would work well)
Process:
In a glass bowl, combine the halved tomatoes, sugar, and rosemary. As rosemary is much more robust than basil, this cam be added from the start. Toss well and cover tightly. Leave this at room temperature for ~2-3 days. During this time, the sugar will extract the juices from the tomatoes. Tomatoes can sometimes use a bit more time than strawberries (think about the skin of these fruits differ). You can give it the occasional stir to ensure the sugar fully dissolves.
Strain the syrup through a fine sieve and gently press the fruit to extract the liquid (but do not force any solids through which will cloud the shrub). Mix in the vinegar and jar it up. Leave in the fridge for ~2 weeks to mature before enjoying (I often find this one best after more time to allow the acid and umami to blend).
These bottles are now in my fridge, both maturing and mellowing, and ready for when the sun finally emerges in London.
Have you ever experimented with cold maceration or Korean cheong before? What are your favourite shrub flavours? What are you going to make!
Drop your thoughts, questions, or flavour ideas in the comments below!
Kenji
Another brilliant piece! Loved reading it 💓, so informative! I have a question, how do you use them, what are your favorite ways, once they are ready, do you dilute or add to recipes? I was particularly impressed by the cold method of maceration! THANK YOU!