If you truly love fun and simple recipes that make a big impact on your health, this drink is for you. My Apple Cider Vinegar Blueberry And Ginger Shrub is made with wild blueberries, fresh grated ginger, honey and raw apple cider vinegar. All the ingredients combined make a syrup that can be used to flavor soda water or cocktails.
A shrub is a vinegared syrup that was popular during the American Colonial Era. This drinking vinegar can be infused with fruit, herbs and spices and was commonly used in cocktails. My version helps promote youthful skin and a vibrant, healthy body.
Not only does the raw apple cider vinegar enhance the sweetness of the fruit, it’s cost- effective and packed with many health benefits.
According to Paul Bragg in his book, “Apple Cider Vinegar Miracle Health System”, some benefits of raw apple cider vinegar are:
- Rich in potassium and live enzymes
- Helps promote youthful skin and a vibrant, healthy body.
- Helps regulate calcium metabolism.
- Helps digestion
- Relieves sore throats
- Relief from food poisoning
- Detoxes the body
- Helps control weight
This shrub will go a long way and last months in your refrigerator. I like to add a few tablespoons to sparkling water for a fresh, bubbly drink. It’s also delicious added to champagne for a mimosa.
- 1 cup of wild blueberries, fresh or frozen (regular are okay too)
- ½ cup of water
- ½ cup raw apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup of honey
- ½ tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until liquefied (about 1 min).
- Pour into a glass jar and place in fridge for 1-2 days before serving. Over time the vinegar flavor will lessen.
- Serve about 2 tablespoons with a cup of soda water. Use as much or as little shrub in your drink as you like.
If you like drinks made with Apple Cider Vinegar, try my Perfect Summer Watermelon Shrub and my Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Drink.
Happy Fermenting!
-Danielle
I never knew about letting the shrub sit in the refrigerator for a couple of days. The idea the sharpness of the vinegar diminishes makes me look forward to drinking it. Good tip! Again, I want to comment how mouthwatering & beautiful your pictures are.
Thank you! The longer it sits, the better it gets :)
Hello Danielle, today I just bought “Botanica Fermented Kombucha Revitalizing Tonic” (certified organic, made with black tea) from my regular health store. They just got it in, and I was quite happy, b/c I haven’t had the time to BE a fermenter yet, and since I’ve never even tasted kombucha, I thought I’d buy it & try it. I like the fact that I’m getting this kombucha from the health food store, instead of Safeway, where I’ve seen it as various flavours. (But I wonder if they load it up with sugar?)
I believe this is Dr. Ohhira’s company, “Botanica”, who makes very good probiotic pills, I hear (whoa, but very expensive).
Have you made this yourself (using black tea)? Do you have recipes for what I can do with it rather than take it by the spoonful, or however I’m actually going to take it. (I wouldn’t want to heat this up, or it will kill everything, correct?) I like ACV, so I hope I like the tea. I’m so excited, b/c I don’t believe I’ve ever had anything fermented pass my lips (‘cept for ACV). And I know from reading your site how healthy I’m going to be able to make myself, with this new stuff I’ll be drinking/taking!
Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much,
Laurie
Hi Laurie, You can make your own kombucha using black tea. It’s cheaper than buying it and you have more control over the ingredients. You can start with my easy steps to make kombucha here: https://www.fermentedfoodlab.com/3-steps-to-start-making-kombucha-home/
If you like ACV you will like kombucha too.
Oh dear, I guess, for whatever reason, I didn’t think I’d have to deal with a slimy Scoby for a simple tea kombucha — I’m a complete greenhorn in fermenting … no, really! (I actually took out “Fermenting for Dummies” from the lib recently, but am only just starting it.)
I hate to be such a pansy, but those Scobies gross me out, and if I try to eat/drink things, knowing that thing was on top, I won’t be able to do it. I’ll have to stick with ACV, already made kombucha, and things like fermenting veg – I don’t think that needs a Scoby, correct? Hope I’m not the only one in this whole wide world slightly afraid of a Scoby, lol! Maybe my “Dummies” book will tell me “how to” w/o that nasty thang for some items.
Bye from your weirdest subscriber,
Laurie
Laurie, you crack me up! There are many ways to eat and drink fermented foods without having to deal with a SCOBY. You may like making coconut water kefir which can be made with a powdered culture starter. You won’t have to deal with any weird scobies with that and it’s very good for you.
https://www.fermentedfoodlab.com/how-to-make-coconut-water-kefir-and-get-clearer-skin/
Otherwise buying it already made is always an option.
Wow. So sorry the anti-all-bacteria propaganda worked so well on you. If you can get really mellow, (please, no panic attack) try closing your eyes and gently floating through our world and everywhere in/on our bodies and imagine how we are gently protected and fed by our well-evolved personal scobies. We need to make friends with our healthy microbiomes. We could not survive without them!
I made this last weekend and let it set in the fridge for a week. I added a tablespoon to my kombucha made with an heirloom Tibetan Scoby and pu’erh tea. It was great!
That sounds amazing! I love the idea of flavoring kombucha with this. Thank you for sharing :)
Do you strain the blend after it forments or drink it as is?
I usually don’t strain it, but you can if you want.
I made this shrub and am very pleased with the outcome. Question: if I didn’t refrigerate the shrub, instead let it sit outside in a glass container for 2-3 days, would I begin to get a low alcohol drink? Just curious to know if I’ve got the right combo of ingredients for turning into alcohol.
Many thanks for an awesome and very information packed blog.
The sugar might start to turn into alcohol after a few days. I like to make cocktails with shrubs by using the shrub as a mixer.
how can you do this without adding any kind of sweetener and make it taste less acidic?