The word “shrub” comes from the Arabic word sharab, meaning “drink.” The main components of a shrub are fruit, sugar, and acid—and if you have any overripe or bruised fruits, throw them in, too!
Makes 2 cups or 12 drinks
Ingredients
- 1 lb peaches, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 10 to 20 fresh basil leaves
- Sliced peaches, for garnish
- Basil leaves, for garnish
Directions
- In a medium bowl, add the peaches and sugar. Toss together until the sugar is dissolved. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, toss the peaches again and refrigerate overnight (2 days total).
- On day two, add the vinegar and basil to the peach mixture and stir to combine. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 7 to 10 days.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and strain the peach mixture, pressing all the liquid through the strainer with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Pour the peach shrub liquid into a mason jar, bottle, or container of your choice with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator until use.
You can keep your shrub base in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Mix the peach shrub with ice cold water, soda water, or alcohol (vodka or gin are best) in a 1:2 ratio. You can play around with the ratio and adjust to your taste preference. Or, if mixing the shrub base with alcohol, top with soda water, if you prefer your drink not as strong.
