Spicy & Sweet Summer Melon Shrub | A Collaboration with Lauren of LDT Edition

Hey friends! I’m turning the writing reigns over to Lauren today so that she can share with you one of her delicious shrubs!  Don’t know what exactly a shrub is? Keeping reading 😉

Courtney and I live in Houston, Texas. It’s hot. It’s like, really hot. And during this time of year, almost every mason jar in my house is in use for the cooling creations of summer. Pickles. Broth. Shrub. Switchel. I love being able to reach into the ‘fridge to grab a sweet and sour something to pick me up out of my shlumpy sweat-induced stupor.

In Ayurveda, the sour taste is a key component in digestion. It’s a spark. Hot and light, it gets the digestion going. That’s why at many Indian restaurants you’ll find all sorts of lovely pickles on the menu. It’s also why you get a slab of dill next to a sandwich or burger. The taste is a good balance for heavy meals that need super-digestion to take care of.

One of my favorite ways to incorporate sour into my summer is through the magical mixture of a shrub. A shrub is a fruit + vinegar infusion. A sweet and sour mixture that, when allowed to sit for a bit, is refreshing yet stimulating.

Often, I will drink shrub in the place of alcohol in the summer. Alcohol is straight fire. Even the Spanish have called it “Aguardiente” or fire-water. It, in the summer, will often increase my internal heat past the moderate point. For me, that just isn’t pleasant. That’s why I like a shrub. I can still look like a classy lady with a mixed drink in hand, but sip on something that I know is doing my gut wonders and isn’t inducing me to sweat like I am a cup of cold water condensing on a picnic table. (AKA POURING SWEAT)

Below is a shrub that I threw together in Courtney’s presence with what was in my pantry and crisper drawer. It turned out to be a delightful combination that I will certainly aim to make again. Really, though, you can try your hand at shrubbing with almost any fruit, sugar and herb. Some past combos I’ve made were Rosemary, Beet + Orange Honey and Lavender Kumquat Honey.

Happy summer sipping, y’all!

Spicy & Sweet Summer Melon Shrub

A quart mason jar
A handful of sugar (We used a really cool sugar I found at HEB that was infused with saffron! Really, any sugar will do. Just don’t use honey here. It is extra heating in nature, and we don’t want that for the summer)
A loose handful of fresh lemon verbena
One small summer melon of your choice diced (I think ours was a Musk Melon, but I am not 100% positive because my CSA said one thing, but the melon looked/smelled like another.)
4 Shishito peppers, cut in half and seeded
A handful of coriander seeds
Enough apple cider vinegar to fill up your mason jar

Place your lemon verbena and sugar into a mortar and pestle. Pound/grind together until the lemon verbena just releases its essential oils.

Put the melon, shisito pepper, coriander and your sugar mixture into the mason jar.

Cover it all up with apple cider vinegar.

Screw on the lid. Place in the ‘fridge. Let it sit for a day or two.

I like to serve my shrub simple — mixed up with sparkling water or cold-brewed jasmine tea. (to serve the shrub, simply strain it into a glass and add whatever mixer you desire)