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["Brungardt, Sam" <Sam.Brungardt@state.mn.us>]

Title: RE: [NAFEX] Raspberry Vinegar

I make raspberry "shrub" whenever I find I have too many red or purple raspberries or berries that are too ripe to freeze nicely.  I can or bottle it it as one would fruit juice.

Raspberry shrub's easy to make and people really do like it, as evidenced by a number of Craftsman home enthusiasts from throughout the Midwest who were at our home for a lunch one warm spring day.  We ran out of iced tea and lemonade so I brought several jars of red raspberry shrub concentrate up from the basement, diluted it with about 4 parts of water in a pitcher and then poured it into glasses filled with ice.  People loved it and several wanted the recipe.  I've found that kids go for it, too.  Sort of pre-industrial era Kool-Aide.

This year I have a lot of red currants and I plan to make some Currant Shrub, which may demand more sugar than the raspberry version.

Raspberry Shrub
In a earthenware, enameled or stainless steel container, mash 4 cups fresh raspberries.  Mix with 2 cups cider vinegar.  Cover the container and let stand in a warm place at room temperature for 48 hours.  Strain to remove seeds and pulp (a jelly bag works great for this).  Pour the juice into a large nonreactive kettle, stir in 2 cups sugar, and bring to a boil.  Skim foam off top.  Pour the concentrate into hot, sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4" headspace,  seal with sterilized flats and process in a boiling water bath (10 min. for pints, 15 min. for quarts).  Store in a cool, dark place.

-----------------

Old Fashioned Vermont-style Raspberry Shrub
Pour 2 quarts of cider vinegar over 2 quarts of mashed raspberries.  Let set covered for two days at room temperature.  Strain and press the mixture through cheesecloth.  Add 2 more quarts of mashed raspberries to the liquid.  Let set for two more days.  Strain and press again through cheesecloth.

Measure liquid by the cup, put into large pot.  In separate bowl measure 1 cup of sugar for every cup of liquid.  Set aside sugar.  Bring liquid to a boil, boil for five minutes.   Skim off foam.  Bring to a boil and add sugar, boil for five minutes.  Skim foam.  Put into pint canning jars.  Jars and lids should be hot.  Seal.

Serve 2 tablespoons of shrub over ice to 8 oz. of water, soda water, seltzer, or white wine.
-----

Here's a recipe for Blackberry Shrub I found on the Internet, which I intend to try next time I have a superabundance of blackberries (will that EVER be the case up north here?):

Blackberry Shrub
4 cups fresh blackberries, about 16 ounces
2 cups cider vinegar
2 cups granulated sugar

Place blackberries in a non-metal bowl or pitcher; add vinegar.   Cover with plastic wrap or lid; refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Strain mixture into a saucepan, pressing blackberries to extract all liquid.  Heat to boiling and add sugar, stirring to dissolve.  Take off heat and let cool.  Keep refrigerated.  When ready to use, dilute with cold water and pour over ice.

--Sam Brungardt, St. Paul, Minn.

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Doc Lisenby
Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 12:12 PM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Vinegar

Tom wrote:
"My mother in-law will often give us "raspberry vinegar? to drink.  You add water to it.  They tell us it was the "soda pop" of their day, in rural Ontario.

It sounds strange, but is tasty."

I've been told that diluted hard apple vinegar was commonly served to guests
in the southern US in the not too distant past.  It was served warmed when
the weather was cold and cooled by keeping it in a springhouse or well for
serving in hot weather.
Seems like I read that a Philadelphia pharmacist, Hires, bottled the first
commercial soda pop in the form of Hires Root Beer around 1900. Doc Lisenby

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