Fresh cranberries are so full of wonderful tart flavor and health-boosting nutrients it seems a shame to serve them only in relish form to go with a holiday turkey. Another way to take advantage of them while supplies are plentiful is to turn them into a shrub: a tangy base for a drink that pairs fruit with vinegar and some kind of sweetener.
Drinking vinegars date back to pre-refrigeration days when fruits had to be preserved by natural methods. More recently, they’ve come back into vogue — in bars and in bottled form — as a healthful and satisfying grown-up drink, with or without the booze.
With its crimson hue and cool-weather flavors, this one is sure to brighten up the beverage table at any gathering this holiday season. From Susan Puckett, an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author. Makes about 2 cups shrub, about 16 drinks
Shrub:
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup water
8-10 allspice berries, crushed
Juice and strips of peeled zest from 1 orange
2/3 cup cider vinegar (preferably organic
2/3 cup maple syrup
Cocktails:
Sparkling water, sparkling wine, sparking cider, bourbon, or other spirit
Orange slices, rosemary sprigs, and/or reserved cranberries for garnish
Make the shrub:
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, water, crushed allspice berries, and orange juice and peel.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook until the berries soften and burst, 7-8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and syrup. Set aside some of the intact berries for garnish.
Pour the remaining mixture into a mesh strainer set over a medium bowl and press the solids with a spoon to extract as much juice as you can without getting solids into the shrub.
Transfer the strained liquid to a bottle or jar, cover, and refrigerate for a month or longer, until ready to use.
To make cocktails:
1. Fill a cocktail glass with ice and pour ¼ to ½ cup of the shrub over the ice. Top off with sparkling water or sparking water for sparkling cider for a non-alcoholic cocktail or use the shrub as the base for a spirited cocktail.
Stir it well and garnish with an orange slice and, if desired, a sprig of rosemary and/or a few reserved cranberries.
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