Season: June to July. A shrub is an old-fashioned kind of drink–essentially a delightfully fruity alcoholic cordial. Based on sweetened rum or brandy, it is traditionally flavored with acidic fruit such as Seville oranges, lemons, or red currants. Keep back some of the juice after straining red currants to make jelly (see recipe, p. 54), and you will find this lovely tipple very simple to make. Serve as an aperitif, either on its own or mixed half and half with a dry martini and finished with a splash of fresh orange juice, which is my favorite way.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Mix the red currant juice, rum or brandy, orange zest, and nutmeg together in a large, wide-necked jar. You may find the mixture of acid and alcohol forms a gel–a perfect example of how adding fruit juice to spirit can determine pectin levels (see pp. 38–39). Don’t worry, the mixture will become liquid again when you add the sugar. Seal the jar tightly and leave for 7 to 10 days in a cool, dark place.
Step 2
Transfer the currant and alcohol mixture to a pan, add the sugar, and heat gently to about 140°F. When the sugar has dissolved, strain the liqueur through a jelly strainer bag or cheesecloth (see p. 33). Decant the strained liquid into a sterilized bottle (see p. 125) and seal with a cap.
Step 3
Store for several months in a cool, dark place so the shrub can fully mature before you take the first tipple. Use within 2 years.
VARIATION
Step 4
At marmalade-making time, buy an extra couple of pounds of Seville oranges and use the strained juice in place of the red currant juice for an outstanding orange liqueur.
P.S.
Step 5
Red currants that grow on a standard (long-stemmed) bush, rather than at ground level, make picking very easy and also add interest to the garden. I pick about 10 pounds of red currants each season from my standard bush.
