sweet miscellany

Intensely flavored wild dewberries are combined with citrusy lemon thyme, apple cider vinegar, and sugar to create a delicious dewberry shrub. This vegan and gluten free drinking vinegar can be paired with sparkling water for a simple and delightful mocktail!

It’s dewberry season here in Houston! I did my annual wild dewberry forage last week bringing home roughly 6 cups of berries (and plenty of scratches). I always make a cobbler with the berries but this year, I had more than enough to make a batch of shrub, too. I based the recipe off a simple blackberry one I typically make and enjoy during the summer months. I paired my foraged dewberries with some lemon thyme from the garden, muddled them with sugar, then covered them with apple cider vinegar. Everything mingled for 3 days, then the fruit and herb solids were strained out. The resulting shrub is perfect when paired with sparkling water for an easy and super flavorful mocktail!

Foraging for Dewberries

Dewberries are a type of wild blackberry that come into season here in Houston in April through early June. They produce smaller fruits than standard blackberries that have a more intense flavor. Their thorny vines grow in a trailing habit along the ground (especially along creek banks) unlike blackberries that have an upright growth pattern. Since they aren’t really cultivated, you often have to forage for them yourself. If you go dewberry picking, make sure to wear close-toed shoes, long pants, and long sleeves since they are thorny! They grow like weeds and are typically easy to find along creek banks, fence lines, and tree lines.

What is a Shrub?

You might be wondering what the heck a shrub is if you’ve never had one. No, I’m not talking about that bushy thing in front of your house! I’m referring to a type of drinking vinegar that was popular during the colonial era in the States and has been gaining in popularity over the past few years. A shrub is essentially a syrup made with vinegar and a sweetener that has been infused with fruits, herbs, or even vegetables. Shrubs can be used to make cocktails or mocktails. My personal favorite method is to combine shrubs with sparkling water.

How to Make this Dewberry Shrub

Over the years I’ve refined and simplified my shrub making method. To make this dewberry shrub, all you need are dewberries, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and some lemon thyme (or regular thyme). You’ll add the berries, sugar, and thyme to a quart-sized mason jar. Then, you’ll muddle everything with a wooden spoon until the berries have broken down and released a lot of juice (see the image above). You’ll cover everything with the apple cider vinegar, place a lid on the jar, and put it in the fridge. The shrub does best when infused for at least 2-3 days. I like to shake it once or twice a day to encourage the sugar to dissolve. When you’re ready to use it, simply strain out the solids. The resulting dewberry shrub can be used in cocktails or mocktails.

How to Make an Easy Dewberry Shrub Mocktail

I like to keep it simple when using a shrub. I combine 1-2 ounces of the shrub with about 3-4 ounces of sparkling water. Add ice and a garnish if you like and you’re good to go! The ratio of shrub to sparkling water is based on my tastes so make sure to experiment. Just note that the shrub will fizz up quite a bit as you add the sparkling water!

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