It's holiday time and spending some pleasurable time in kitchen to prepare a delightful summer drink is fun as well. Preparing a shrub is perfect for holidays and holiday outing. A shrub is a traditional Arab cordial and were popular few centuries ago and are making a come back again.As we know a shrub is based on a fruit syrup using fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes and red currants.
To prepare a strawberry shrub all that is needed.....strawberries: 3lb (1.4kg) Granulated sugar, Citric acid. This makes about 850 ml of syrup.
Sterilize the bottle tops by boiling them in water for 15 minutes. Make sure the strawberries are clean, shell them and put them into a pan. Heat gently, stirring continuously, and bringing slowly to the boil. Boil for 1 minute, crushing large pieces of fruit with wooden spoon. Strain the fruit through clean muslin cloth till the last drop of juice.
Measure the juice into large, clean jug. Add 12oz (350g) sugar to each pint (570ml) of juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar. If necessary, heat the juice and sugar gently until the sugar dissolves. Add 1 level teaspoon of citric acid for each pint(570ml) of juice that was measured.
Pour the syrup into the screw-top glass bottles. Leave 3/4 (20mm) of headspace on each bottle to allow room for expansion. Screw the sterilized tops on loosely. This allows the air to escape. Put a folded newspaper into bottom of a preserving pan or a large deep saucepan, and place the filled bottles on top of the paper. Pour cold water into the pan until it comes just above the level of the syrup in the bottles. Simmer for about 20 minutes. The temperature of the water should be about 88 degree C (190 degree F).
Remove the bottles gently using hand gloves (heatproof) and place them on a wooden board. Screw the tops tightly & immediately. Leave it to cool. Store them in a dark cool place. Homemade fruit syrups will keep up for years. However once opened it should be kept in refrigerator and consumed within ten days.
How the shrub is served? Put a good full tablespoon of syrup into a tall glass and dilute with hot or cold water or with soda to taste. Strawberry shrub froths up when mixed with soda and the suds subsides leaving a sparkling summer drink. Enjoy your summer with a home made summer drink with family and friends:))
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Oooohhhh....so pretty! I especially love those nighttime shots! I have heard the term shrub (in the movie "Bend It Like Beckham", I think) but didn't really know what it was. Aha! Now I know!! Sounds delicious! It's so cool that you have your own seltzer water dispenser, too!!!!! Have a happy holiday!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful setting, and thanks for the recipe on the shrub or cordial. I never knew that is what they are called, that's so cool. It sounds delicious!
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