This is the perfect summer drink. If you truly love the sweet and refreshing taste of watermelon and simple recipes that make a big impact on your health, this drink is for you. My Perfect Summer Watermelon Shrub is made with ripe, organic watermelon, freshly pureed with honey and apple cider vinegar. All the ingredients combined make a watermelon syrup that can be used to flavor soda water or cocktails. I think it would make an amazing mimosa or watermelon margarita. If you want a great “mocktail”, this is perfect with soda water, muddled mint and a squeeze of lime.
My husband and I had a housewarming party over the weekend (it only took us two months) and I used the opportunity to test my recipes on my friends. I make sure my recipes not only taste great to me, but are crowd pleasers too. Everyone who tasted the Perfect Summer Watermelon Shrub loved it and wanted the recipe immediately. Sorry friends I made you wait ;)
A shrub is a vinegared syrup that was popular during the American Colonial Era. It’s also called a drinking vinegar that is infused with fruit, herbs and spices and is drank with water, soda water or spirits. I make my shrub the healthy way by sweetening it with honey and using raw apple cider vinegar.
Health Benefits
Some of the health benefits of my Perfect Summer Watermelon Shrub are…
- Contains essential electrolytes and is hydrating.
- Helps digestive track, will keep you regular and control weight.
- Helps promote youthful skin and a vibrant, healthy body.
If you want an even more authentic flavor, try making this using my Homemade Raw Pineapple Vinegar or add in some mint and lime. Make the Perfect Summer Watermelon Shrub this weekend and enjoy it with good company and the beautiful warm weather.
- 5 cups ripe watermelon
- ⅓ cup of light honey
- ½ cup raw apple cider vinegar or Homemade Raw Pineapple Vinegar
- Put the watermelon in the blender and puree until liquified.
- Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer.
- Add the honey and vinegar to the watermelon juice and stir until the honey is dissolved.
- Place in a glass container and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before using. The vinegar taste will disappear over time.
- Add the shrub to bubbly water for a refreshing, hydrating drink like the one pictured here.
- The Perfect Summer Watermelon Shrub will last in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Resources
Shrub (drink) Wikipedia
How to make Abue Queta’s Raw Pineapple Vinegar
Hi Danielle,
Is apple cider vinegar a probiotic? The Livestrong website (the one Lance is no longer a part of) says it’s not, and that there has been confusion about this. I provided the link, if you want to take a looky loo.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/508833-is-apple-cider-vinegar-a-probiotic/
Thanks,
Laurie
Hi Laurie,
Thank you for sharing this article. It makes sense that it’s not a probiotic, because the fermentation of vinegar goes past the stage of providing an environment for probiotic bacteria to live. They can’t live long in an environment without sugar. Apple cider vinegar as a prebiotic that feeds our gut bacteria makes more sense. It has helped my digestion tremendously. I drink it daily in my lemon water along with fermented and probiotic foods. It’s a great support for healthy gut bacteria.
-Danielle
Can’t wait until we get ripe watermelon here in upstate NY. I drink ACV twice daily. As I don’t like the “bouquet”, I mix one Tbsp of ACV (with the Mother) in a pint of Propel vitamin water and a squirt of organic lemon juice. For this shrub, I’ll probably try the watermelon flavored Propel with your recipe. Maybe even add a shot of vodka, too! Thanks for all the good fermenting info and recipes. Bob