Wheat Free Classic Apple Shrub
Tart, spiced, and quietly sophisticated, this apple shrub is the kind of homemade pantry staple that makes every drink feel a little more intentional. Fresh diced apples macerate in sugar until they release a gorgeous, jewel-toned syrup, which then gets layered with apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger for a flavor that's bright and complex all at once. The whole process is hands-off — mostly just patience while the fridge does the work over a couple of days. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of wheat, so there's no label-scanning or substitution stress involved; it's just clean, simple produce and pantry spices doing their thing. Splash a couple of tablespoons over ice with sparkling water and you've got a refreshing drinking vinegar that tastes far more impressive than the effort required. It keeps in the fridge for up to three months, which means you can batch it once and enjoy it all season long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 2 medium apples (about 12 oz), cored and finely diced
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
For serving
- sparkling water, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the diced apples and granulated sugar in a medium bowl and stir well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, until the sugar has fully dissolved into the apple juices and a syrupy liquid has pooled at the bottom of the bowl.
- 2
Add the apple cider vinegar, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and ground ginger to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for another 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop.
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