Sunday, April 24, 2022

Mandarin, Pineapple and Tarragon Fruit Shrub


The idea for this refreshing drink started when we had an abundance of mandarins from our tree in our front yard. Some of you may remember a large branch broke off this tree recently during a storm. A couple of weeks later it was obvious the fruit needed to be picked, as the fruit was very juicy  even though the skin was still green. 

We then went to the local Farmers Markets and bought some Rough Leaf pineapples which were very sweet and juicy as well. Combining mandarin and pineapple juices into a fruit shrub seemed an obvious pairing to us, but then how about adding herbs for extra flavour. Tarragon is growing and flowering beautifully in our garden at present, so if the mandarins are ready for juicing and the tarragon is also in season and plentiful, let's combine them as well. As a result I brewed up a delicious Mandarin, Pineapple and Tarragon fruit Shrub.

A Shrub for drinking that is, is a way of preserving excess fruit and their juices using Apple Cider Vinegar as the preservative, and sugar.These are also called Drinking Vinegars, where the Acetic Acid in the vinegar acts as the preservative. The best Apple Cider Vinegar to use is Organic, Raw, and Unpasteurised available from most Supermarkets and Health Food shops these days. Apple Cider Vinegar is a Fermented food, and there is a lot of evidence to support that it is very good for us.

 Various historical accounts tell us that early Sailors from colonial America and England carried drinkable shrub on board their vessels to prevent scurvy. Consequently, the "shrub" was one of America's first drinks, as it was shelf stable without requiring chilling, water was mostly unsafe and the drink was healthy. It also probably gained popularity during the Temperance Movement in the U.S. The invention of refrigeration meant it no longer needed to be used as a preservative without refrigeration. Shrubs are now very popular to use in Cocktail Bars as mixers. It also makes a zingy refreshing drink, with just a tablespoon or two  mixed with cold Soda Water on ice, or sparkling Mineral water or just plain cold water on a warm day and the syrup will keep in the refrigerator tightly sealed for about 6 months. You can be as elegant or as simple as you wish when concocting a shrub, and there are plenty of recipes available.

Making shrub is a little like making jams, use equal amounts of sugar to blended fruits, and then add the same amount again of the Vinegar of your choice. This recipe is for a large quantity of fruit, however it is an easy calculation to work out the ingredients for a smaller quantity of fruit.

Ingredients: 

6 cups blended mandarin fruit

2 cups blended pineapple

10 sprigs Tarragon 

8 cups Apple Cider Vinegar

8 cups White granulated sugar

Method:

For this quantity, select a large pot.

Peel your mandarin and remove the white pith

Chop each piece of fruit into 8ths, remove seeds, and gradually add fruit to the blender, until you almost have a liquid. Add fruit to the pot you are using.

Follow the same method for the pineapple. However chop the pineapple into pieces, blend, and add to the saucepan.

To each cup of fruit liquid, add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of good quality Apple Cider Vinegar. Mix the fruit, vinegar and sugar together.

Add the Tarragon. NO need to chop up the tarragon.

Place the saucepan on the stove, and bring the fruity mixture to the boil

After it has boiled, strain mixture through a fine mesh colander into a large jug or bowl. You will then need to pour or ladle  your shrub from the jug into other sterilised bottles.

To remove the last of the juice from the remaining fruit pulp, bash it with a wooden spoon to extract the juice. Strain this liquid into a sterilised container.

The fruit pulp left over is also delicious to eat with ice-cream, or other fruits.

Apologies my friends if you have already seen this post. I posted it on my In My Kitchen recently, and I just realised that it was on my blog in draft form. So I'm publishing it which will mean it will be easier for me to find as well in the future when I make it again, and I will be making it again next year when we have more mandarins.

Pauline







20 comments:

  1. I drink ACV water daily....this is definitely something I can try for the summer party!

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    1. Angie, shrubs make a nice change for a Summer drink. Thanks so much for dropping by to read this post.

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  2. I experimented with making a couple of shrubs a while back.. I served them at a party and they Went over quite well. I've never made a Mandarin or pineapple version. That sounds interesting and so does the taragon.

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    1. Jeff the tarragon gave the drink a nice subtle flavour, as did the vodka or gin when we tried it:) Thanks so much for your comment.

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  3. What a refreshing sounding drink and so impressive that you got some of the fruit from your own trees.

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    1. We had so many mandarins, and the shrub was perfect for using up lots of them. thanks so much Gluten Free. It really is very refreshing

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  4. Replies
    1. Thanks Anne, it's a really nice drink, and healthy as well.

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  5. I was today old when I learned there was a shrub you could drink! This sounds so refreshing - pineapple and mandarin are a winning combination!

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    1. Yes they are, and the tarragon adds a subtle aniseed note to the drink. Thanks for your comment.

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  6. so that's pineapple chunks pauline? sounds very refreshing. ooh i see anne has just said that too. I just love the name - shrub!

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    1. Sherry, we just bought a whole pineapple and chopped it up. The pineapples at the moment are so sweet. Yes it's a great name isn't it?

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  7. oh weird. my comment disappeared but it didn't say anything about moderation. hope it comes thru.

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    1. Sherry thanks so much, the comment came through as normal, but the interface at my end looks a bit different now. Perhaps they are making changes.

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  8. This looks wonderful! It is already quite hot around here and a fun, refreshing drink is just what is needed.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Thanks so much Amalia, this drink would be perfect for your Summer. enjoy!

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  9. I love shrubs! One of those things you don't see that much these days (although various shrubs have become a thing at some craft cocktail bars). This looks great -- thanks.

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    1. Thanks KR, I love that shrubs lend themselves to a lot of experimenting. This one turned out really well, and it's a healthy way to drink.

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  10. This sounds so incredibly refreshing, and I love that it uses tarragon!

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    1. Thanks David, tarragon has such unique flavours, I love using it.

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