The following recipe for Fruit Shrub is from SurvivalBlog reader Mr. Alaska. She writes:
“A ‘shrub’ is an old-fashioned drink that made great sense before water was reliably potable. This was safer and refreshing because it incorporated vinegar. You might find the idea odd — drink vinegar? But in the right proportions, with fruit and sweetener, the vinegar adds the kind of tang that people like from quinine or tonic water – without the bitterness, and with some salubrious gastrointestinal tract benefits, too. You can drink this straight or add a bit to water or a clear alcohol or wine, depending on preference.
You can adjust for personal taste but start with a 1:1:1 ratio of:
Liquid rich fruit (like a berry) : Honey or sugar : Gentle vinegar.
A gentle vinegar is my description of vinegars made from apple cider or red or white or rice wine. If you use distilled white vinegar (as I have done, too, reduce by half or increase the fruit or sweetener to your preference).
For example:
In a pot, heat to a simmer:
2 cups berries or rhubarb or other juicy fruit
2 cups honey or sugar
Cool liquid. Refrigerate. Shake from time to time over a week to incorporate fruit with syrup.
A week later, smash and then filter out the particulate matter. (with cheese cloth or a coffee filter or even a stocking or loose T shirt)
Then mix in the vinegar to taste. Stir. Taste again. Refrigerate or put in the cold hole. Taste a few days later. Figure out your preferred proportions.
2 cups gentle vinegar (or 1 cup white vinegar to start)
This will not taste like a fruity vinaigrette. Give it a try… before you need to do so.
Mrs. Alaska blogs here: https://alaskauu1.blogspot.com/
—
Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!