How to Make a Blueberry Lavender Shrub + Mocktail Recipe

If you love including apple cider vinegar in your food and beverages, there are a few fun herbal preparations that you can accessibly make at home. Vinegars are a great way to work with herbs and can be very customizable depending on your own palate and what’s in season. One of my favorite methods of working with herbal vinegars is by making herbal shrubs.

Herbal shrubs were originally known as a drinking vinegar. They are tart with a hint of sweetness and are a very refreshing as a sipping beverage. Historically, the word shrub is derived from the Arabic word sharab, which means “to drink.” Vinegar was a common preservation method and during time period where water wasn’t always safe to drink, these drinkable preserves were incredibly important.

Shrubs are made by infusing fruits, herbs, vinegar, and sugar of choice. A current standard is to make them about equal parts sugar to vinegar. Although in the past shrubs could be made with a 5:1 ratio (5 parts honey to 1 part vinegar), I personally like to do a little less than a 1:1 ratio, so that when I strain it, I can add more honey to my own taste preference. It offers a little more leeway for using this as a cooking ingredient as well. It’s good to keep in mind that the higher the sugar content, the more shelf stable it will be.

As always, I encourage you to bring your own spark of magic and intuition into the kitchen as you prepare your own concoctions. You don’t have to use an exact recipe— you can add the ingredients that call to you or what’s in hand or in season. Get in there, have fun. And don’t forget to shake those extracts on the daily!

Blueberry Lavender Shrub Recipe

For this herbal shrub recipe, I used some organic blueberries and lavender flowers. Blueberries add a sweet and slightly tart flavor to the preparation. They also contain antioxidants and are supportive of heart health.

Lavender is a gentle floral herb and is personally one of my favorite flavors to add to beverages, desserts, and ice cream. It’s well known to be relaxing for the mind and calms our senses. What a wonderful preparation to incorporate into your routine when feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Sip on this on a hot summer day, as a nightcap before bed, or impress company when they arrive!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup organic blueberries
• 1/4 organic lavender flowers
• Organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar (you can also use a white vinegar or balsamic vinegar if preferred)
• Raw, local honey
• Parchment paper or a plastic lid

Directions

1. Add blueberries and lavender flowers to a quart-size glass jar.
2. Pour apple cider vinegar in until it reached about ¾ full.
3. Top off with the honey.
4. Add parchment paper in between metal lid or use a plastic lid.
5. Shake well everyday for 4-6 weeks.
6. Strain and add in more honey to taste if needed.
7. Store in a jar or bottle, label with date, ingredients and name.
8. Store for up to 4-6 months. Refrigerate for more stable and longer shelf life.

Blueberry Lavender Herbal Mocktail

Makes 1 Serving

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp. blueberry lavender shrub (see recipe above)
• 6 oz. unflavored bubbly water
• Juice of half a lemon
• Optional: Add in 5-10 drops of some herbal bitters

Directions

1. Fill your glass with ice.
2. Pour shrub over ice and top with bubbly water.
3. Squeeze lemon on top
4. Stir well.

If you enjoyed this recipe, go check out another combination with strawberry and elderflowers.

Contraindications

Honey is not safe for children under the age of 1.

Looking to learn more from alex payne?

Find Her at Tending the Wildflowers Botanical Sanctuary &
Education Center

You may also be interested in:

• Elderflower Strawberry Mocktail
• Nootropic Mocktails: Support Memory and Focus with Summer Sippers
  
• Tulsi Sipping Vinegar Recipe with Tulsi