Shrubs, for those of you who aren’t familiar with them, are vinegar-based syrups. They’re made by mashing fruit with sugar and then soaking the fruit in vinegar for a week. The resulting vinegar shrub is a slightly acidic, sweet, and fruity liquid that can be added to a cocktail to give it a little zip. This fig shrub includes our Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Mission Dried Figs for a deep and earthy sweetness. Balsamic vinegar and California Figs are a perfect pair– we like them as a sauce spooned over spinach, or as a glaze drizzled on watermelon. This fruit shrub made with dried figs is great in cocktails (stay tuned!) and is a great mixer with sparkling water too.
Balsamic Fig Shrub
Nutrition
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chopped Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the cut up figs. Sprinkle the sugar on top and then mix together until all the fruit is coated with sugar. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Mash fruit with a wooden spoon. Once you have done so, let sit for another hour. Mash the fruit one last time. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Add in the vinegars, stir, and let sit, covered, for one week, making sure to give it a good stir every day.
- After a week, strain any larger pieces from the mixture and save the balsamic fig shrub in a mason jar for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
Recipe and photo by Brian Samuels
