You have to love summer with all the wonderful choices of vegetables and fruits that are around. I bought a commercial Juice press at a yard sale and have not been able to put it away. I'm buying fruits to, squeeze smash, peel and muddle.
I recently learned how to make a Shrub. Have you ever sipped a shrub? Not a bush, but a fruit syrup, preserved with vinegar and mixed with water or alcohol to make a tangy, refreshing beverage. An old-fashioned favorite, shrubs have steadily made a comeback, especially on cocktail menus, but they aren't solely the province of mixologists. Making a shrub syrup at home is a fun way to preserve and play with seasonal fruit, In addition to drinks, you can use the brightly flavored syrup in salad dressings, as a glaze for meats, or add a splash to homemade jam.
The word "shrub" is derived from the Arabic sharbah, which means "a drink." "Sherbet" and "syrup" also come from this Arabic root. Although drinking vinegars aren't so common today, they have a long history stretching back to the Babylonians, who added date vinegar to water to make it safe to drink, and the Romans, who mixed vinegar and water to make a beverage called posca.
How delightful that we can have all these combinations of fruit and freshness in nice seasons. Forget the sugar chemical shit storms of diet sodas and enjoy some fresh fruit.
This is how to live large.
