Recipe
Pear Shrub with Honey & Thyme
This shrub syrup is made with the classic cold method. The fruit and herbs and sugars caucus for a a few days; then the liquid is strained and the vinegar is added.
Overview
Ripe pears are very soft, so handle them carefully. Don’t muddle them, and don’t press them when straining the liquid at the end.
Ingredients
3 cups fresh ripe pears, cored and chopped
¾ cup white or golden sugar
1/4 cup honey
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
3-4 cups apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
Instructions
Process:
Fruit + herbs + sugars + time + vinegar
Step 1
Wash the pears, core them, chop them, and put in a large jar (I recommend a 2-quart jar or splitting them between two 1-quart jars.
Step 2
Add the thyme and the honey and sugar.
Step 3
Put the top on, shake it gently, and set aside for 2-3 days. Shake the jar a couple of times a day if you like.
Step 4
After 2-3 days, the mixture should be ready. Place a sieve over a large bowl and strain it. Don’t press the fruit the way you usually do; the pears (if ripe) are too soft for this and will drip large amounts of sediment into your shrub. Don’t even shake the sieve. (I did and managed to get a lot of sediment in the bowl, so I had to strain three times instead of twice!) Let time do the work.
Step 5
Measure or eyeball the juice and to it, add about an equal amount of vinegar.
Step 6
Strain through a cocktail sieve into a jar or bottle; cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. You can try it now, but the flavors will meld, marry, and get happy over the next weeks.
Cocktail Suggestion
This shrub pairs beautifully with bourbon and soda. It also makes a lovely mocktail with just soda garnished with a sprig of thyme. I’m also curious about a Pear Cosmo…? Hmm.
Pear Shrub with Honey & Thyme
Equipment
- Large jar
- Muddler
- Large sieve
- Large bowl
- Measuring cups
- Funnel
- Small cocktail sieve
Ingredients
- Fresh ripe pears
- White or golden sugar
- Honey
- Several sprigs fresh thyme
- Apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Wash the pears, core them, chop them, and put in a large jar.
- Add the thyme sprigs, the honey, and the sugar. Cover and shake the jar to combine the ingredients, then set aside for 2-3 days. Shake the jar a couple of times a day if you like.
- After 2-3 days, the mixture should be juicy. Place a sieve over a large bowl and strain it. Don’t press the fruit the way you usually do; the pears (if ripe) are too soft for this and will drip large amounts of sediment into your shrub. Don’t even shake the sieve. (I did and managed to get a lot of sediment in the bowl, so I had to strain three times instead of twice!) Let time do the work.
- Measure or eyeball the fruit-sugar mixture and add that much vinegar and a bit more.
- Strain through a cocktail sieve into a jar or bottle; cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. You can try it now, but the flavors will meld, marry, and get happy over the next weeks.