Cranberry-Apple Shrub

Name: Cranberry-Apple Shrub
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 48 h 10 min
Yield: About 3 cups
Ingredients: 3 medium apples, quartered (no need to peel or core them); 1 cup fresh cranberries; 1 cup cider vinegar; 1/2 cup light brown sugar

Shrub Apples Cranberries Thanksgiving New England Infusion Drink Make Ahead Easy

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Rate

About 3 cups Easy

Total: 10 mins, plus 2 days infusing time Active: 10 mins

2 Ratings

Ingredients (4)

3 medium apples, quartered (no need to peel or core them)
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup light brown sugar

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Nutritional Information

Calories165
Fat0.27g
Saturated fat0.04g
Trans fat0g
Carbs40.54g
Fiber4.54g
Sugar33.12g
Protein0.48g
Cholesterol0g
Sodium9.98mg
Nutritional Analysis per serving (4 servings) Powered by

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Shrubs, a.k.a. drinking vinegars, were popular in Colonial America. At their most basic, shrubs are infusions of fruit in vinegar, sweetened to soften the tart edges. This one combines two quintessentially autumnal fruits—apples and cranberries—in a shrub that can be used as the base for various celebratory drinks.

Game plan: Use this to make a refreshing, nonalcoholic Cranberry Shrub Spritz. For something stiffer, try a Rum-Cranberry Shrub Cocktail.

Adapted from "Shrubs: An Old-Fashioned Drink for Modern Times" by Michael Dietsch

Instructions

1Use a box grater to shred the apples coarsely.
2Add the cranberries, vinegar, and sugar to a blender. Blend until you have a chunky purée. Combine this purée with the grated apples in a nonmetallic 1-quart container. Cover and let it sit out on the kitchen counter for 2 days.
3Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Dump the apple-cranberry mixture into the strainer. Use the back of a large spoon or a spatula to squeeze as much of the liquid from the fruit as possible. Discard the fruit.
4Transfer the shrub to a glass container or bottle, cover tightly, and store, refrigerated, for up to 1 year.