Herbal Heart Tonic Shrub Recipe
My husband has always been an apple cider vinegar fan. He was drinking vinegar as a sort of tonic long before drinkable vinegars became popular. One of the ways we work with vinegars now is through herbal shrubs, which are made of vinegar, honey, fruit and herbs. They can be pretty versatile, lend themselves to experimentation, and make a great base for salad dressings! Shrubs can also be added to marinades, sorbets, popsicles, and homemade soft drinks. This particular recipe is for a shrub and it uses lots of yummy, heart-supportive herbs.
Ingredients:
1 cup hawthorn berries
1 cup strawberries
¼ cup organic rose petals
¼ cup of hibiscus calyces (from Hibiscus sabdariffa, not the ornamental varieties)
1 TBSP cardamom pods
1 quart raw apple cider vinegar
Raw honey, to taste
Instructions:
Add your dried hawthorn berries, rose petals, cardamom pods and hibiscus flowers to a quart sized jar, then fill the rest of the jar with strawberries. If you have dried strawberries to use, your finished shrub will last longer than it will if you introduce extra water to the vinegar by using fresh or frozen strawberries, but you can use what you have. Just know that the shelf life will be reduced if you use fresh or frozen.
Pour raw, organic apple cider vinegar into the jar until your plant material is completely covered. Cap the jar, give it a good shake, then stick it in the fridge to infuse. I usually let mine go for at least a week or two, but you can infuse it for up to 4 weeks. Once your recipe has reached the strength of flavor that you want, strain out all of the herbs and fruit and stir honey into your recipe. Some people like to use equal parts honey and vinegar while others like to cut back a little bit on the honey. Add it to taste to achieve the level of sweetness you prefer.
How to Use It
You can take herbal shrubs the same way you would fire cider or other herbal vinegars. A teaspoon or tablespoon can be mixed into water, sparkling water, ginger ale, fruit juice, or your favorite beverage of choice and you can take it daily or as needed. Herbal shrubs can make great salad dressings, too, so feel free to experiment by tossing a bit of shrub with some olive or avocado oil and drizzling it over your vibrant bed of greens.
About the Author
Hi there, I’m Erin! I am the main instructor here at Floranella. I am a clinical herbalist, aromatherapist, artisan distiller and organic gardener based in the Pacific Northwest. Here at Floranella, I teach people how to work with plants safely and effectively from the garden to the apothecary. Thanks for being here! I’m glad you stopped by.