Concord Grape Shrub

On Day 3 of Concord Grape Week, we stop eating and start drinking. Shrubs are an old beverage idea making a big, big comeback. A shrub is fruit preserved with a combination of sugar and vinegar. Mixed with water, sparkling water or combined with spirits, shrubs are a delight, an entryway to an empire of cocktails. This particular shrub is very intensely flavored. No grape has the flavor wallop of the Concord.

I’ve seen many recipes for Concord grape shrubs and I’ve found most of them heavy on both the sugar and the vinegar. The grape flavor would get lost, so I’ve created this variation to let the grape dominate, not the vinegar. The shrub is fine with sparkling water — and far too strong to drink on its own.

Combining this shrub with some rum or vodka will surely work. You will need to judge the relative proportions depending on your personal preferences. Concord grape season is very short so take advantage now to make some shrub batches. You can store the shrub for months and enjoy long after these Concord grapes are mere memories.

Yield: ~2 cups

Ingredients:

1 pound Concord grapes, washed and stemmed
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar, or the vinegar of your choice [but no more and ¼ cup!]

Preparation:

Place the grapes in a metal bowl and sprinkle the sugar over them. Using a pastry cutter, mash the grapes and sugar. Concord grapes have thick, durable skins, so take your time and make sure each and every grape has its skin broken. Yes, despite what appear to be whole grapes in that picture of mine, the undersides were definitely scored.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Remove the bowl and strain the contents into a second bowl. Press the strainer contents to get every drop you can.

Add the vinegar and stir to mix. Taste test and adjust the sugar or vinegar to suit your taste.

Store in the refrigerator. Shrubs can be stored for months, but I find the flavor is best if consumed with a month. And, yes, despite the sugar, despite the vinegar, a shrub can develop mold. So, when you open up your container, use a sharp eye and nose before using.

Concord Grape Shrub