Cranberry-Orange Shrub

RECIPE: Excerpted with permission from Preserved: Fruit by Darra Goldstein, Cortney Burns, and Richard Martin published by Hardie Grant Publishing, October 2023.

Photo: David Malosh

November 20, 2023

Add some zing to holiday drinks with this seasonal shrub.

In their book Preserved: Fruit (October 2023), Darra Goldstein, Cortney Burns, and Richard Martin present a guide about preserved fruit, its role in cultures, and how to use it in desserts, sauces, jams, and more. Their recipe for a cranberry-orange shrub is just the tonic for the holiday season. “Shrubs are enjoying a revival these days, since their sweet-and-sour fruitiness adds pizzazz to mixed drinks and nonalcoholic punches,” they write.

Ingredients

Yield:2 cups

2 cups (240 g) cranberries
1/2 cup (170 g) orange blossom honey
2 Tbsp. (12 g) peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup (120 ml) raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (120 ml) red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. orange blossom water (optional)
1 Tbsp. dried orange blossoms

Tools:small saucepan, blender, spoon, jar, fine sieve

Preparation

In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, honey, and ginger. Simmer just until warm, about 5 minutes; the fruit shouldn’t be very cooked. Transfer the mixture to a blender along with the cider vinegar, wine vinegar, and orange blossom water and purée until smooth. Stir in the orange blossoms, then transfer the mixture to a 1 quart/1 L jar. Press a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly against the surface of the purée, then cap the jar tightly. Leave to infuse at room temperature for 4 days. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing hard on the solids to extract all of the liquid. Discard the solids. Pour the shrub into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 months.

Serving SuggestionsMake a sparkling nonalcoholic drink by mixing 1 1/2 oz. (44 ml) shrub with 4 oz. (118 ml) sparkling water. Use in cocktail mixes, stir into sauces and vinaigrettes.