Make this strawberry basil shrub and use it in salad dressings, mocktails, cocktails, and marinades. It's a great way to bottle up some summer berries and use them all year long.
Can't find strawberries? Works with raspberries, marionberries, blueberries, blackberries, and more!
Daily uses for shrubs
You can use any shrub as a mocktail, in salad dressings, cocktails, and marinades. The following are directions on how to do it including flavor pairings and garnishes that go great with this strawberry basil shrub.
Shrub Mocktail
Add 1-2 tbsp of the shrub to 1 cup of sparkling or flat water. Serve over ice. You can even add some lime juice for a punch. Think kombucha meets strawberry limeade.
Optional: garnish with a fresh strawberry and sprig of basil.
Salad Dressings
Mix a little of the shrub with some olive oil, salt, and pepper to make a unique and delicious salad dressing. 1 part shrub, 3 parts olive oil. Tastes great when you add strawberries and basil to the salad to amplify the flavor.
Cocktails
Use the shrub instead of regular simple syrup. Adding some lime juice and sparkling water turns it into a strawberry limeade cocktail with some flair.
Marinades
Mix a few tablespoons of the shrub into your marinade, or use the shrub as a glaze for meat & poultry. This one tastes great with skirt steak or chicken.
Step by step recipe with photos
Muddle together 2 cups of strawberries, 1/2 cup packed basil leaves, and 1 cup of sugar (photo 1 below). Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours (photo 2 below).
Note: You can also just pulverize the strawberries, sugar, and basil with your hands in a bowl.
Add 1 cup of champagne vinegar. Muddle well. Transfer to a quart-sized jar or container (photo 3 above). Cover and refrigerate for 2 days.
After the 2 days, strain and discard the seeds. Use your hands to squeeze out as much of the shrub liquid as possible. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Lasts about 6 months in the refrigerator. If used frequently, it keeps 6-8 weeks like other condiments.
Tip: It is easiest to use a nut milk bag, but any fine strainer or even a strainer lined with cheesecloth works.
Other Shrubs
Try these different shrubs unique to different seasons:
Tips & Tricks
- If you do not have champagne vinegar, you can substitute for apple cider vinegar.
- The shrub mixture can sit in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so if you forget it after the 2 resting days, it is OK.
- If you don't have fresh basil, this recipe tastes great with fresh mint, too.
- A shrub does not have to be refrigerated but prefer to refrigerate them. They can last for years. I have some shrub in my refrigerator from a large batch I made two years ago and still use it regularly.
- Save the discarded strawberry parts from when you strain the mixture. They are delicious in salads or grains like rice & farro. You can also use them as a relish over duck, grilled steak, or chicken!
- The finished shrub lasts about 6 months in the refrigerator. If used frequently, it keeps 6-8 weeks like other condiments.
Looking for more summer recipes?
Check out some of my favorite summer recipes like:
- Summer Salad Rolls with Strawberry Cashew Dipping Sauce
- Cherry Tomato & Garlic Confit Pasta
- Soba Noodle Stir Fry with Summer Veggies
- Salmon Crudo
- Sour Cherry Gin Limeade
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Strawberry Basil Shrub
Equipment
- Mortar & Pestle
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries destemmed, halved/quartered if large
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves packed
- 1 cup turbinado sugar
- 1 cup champagne vinegar or sub. apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Muddle together the strawberries, basil leaves, and sugar. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Add the champagne vinegar. Muddle well. Transfer to a quart-sized jar or container. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days.
- After the 2 days, open your jar and muddle again, very well. Strain and discard the seeds. Use your hands to squeeze out as much of the shrub liquid as possible Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
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