Raspberry Lavender Shrub
Note: Work with sterilized containers, such as jars prepared in a hot water bath.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pint fresh raspberries
- 1 teaspoon crushed, dried lavender buds
- ¼ cup organic sugar or agave nectar
- 1 ¼ cup white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Coat the raspberries, lavender and sugar in a small bowl. Gently mash (“lightly,” says Phoebe, “not like you’re making jam”… you only want to break the raspberries, releasing some juice but not creating a paste).
- Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to 2 days.
- Using a fine sieve, over a bowl, press all the juice from the berries. Let it rest, come back in about an hour and press more juice out. (“Raspberries have so much juice to give,” says Phoebe.) Discard the mash, or save it for a different use. (“I don’t know what you couldn’t use it for,” she says.)
- Stir in the vinegar, pour into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Give it a good shake.
- Allow to rest for at least one week prior to using (this lets the flavors combine; however, if you are using the shrub as the base for a vinaigrette, you can use it right away). Store in the refrigerator for up to six months. Discard if you see mold.
- To serve, add 1 tablespoon to chilled water or sparkling water and an optional splash of vodka or gin, to taste.