Pour your cranberries onto a baking tray. Drizzle with honey, pour over the apple juice, and cook 15-18 minutes until the cranberries start to burst. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Muddle together the cooked cranberries, thyme, and sugar. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
Add your vinegar. Muddle well. Transfer to a quart sized jar. Refrigerate for 2 days.
After the 2 days, open your jar and muddle again, very well. Strain and discard the skins.
Notes
If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you can pulverize the cooked, cooled cranberries with your hand or a potato masher. Just try to get as much liquid out as possible.A shrub does not have to be refrigerated but I 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. Make sure you use a sterile bottle and avoid any contamination of the shrub to ensure longevity.Save the cranberry bits you strain out. They are incredibly delicious as a relish over duck, grilled steak, or even chicken! This festive, holiday shrub is just what you need this holiday season.This recipe yields about 10 oz. of shrub.