Artificial Food Coloring Free Classic Berry Shrub
Shrubs — the old-fashioned drinking vinegar syrups — are having a serious moment, and this berry version is one of the most vibrant, refreshing ways to enjoy them. The color here comes entirely from real mixed berries slowly macerating with sugar, so that gorgeous deep ruby hue is completely natural with zero synthetic dyes involved. For anyone navigating artificial coloring concerns, store-bought flavored syrups and sodas can be a minefield of certified dyes, making a homemade shrub like this a genuinely satisfying alternative. The process is mostly hands-off: crush the fruit, let the fridge do the work for a couple of days, strain, and stir in apple cider vinegar for that signature tangy backbone. The result is a complex, sweet-tart concentrate that tastes far more sophisticated than its short ingredient list suggests. Splash it over sparkling water and ice for a drink that feels special enough for company but simple enough to keep a jar in the fridge all week.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 2 cups fresh mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries), hulled and halved if large
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
For serving
- sparkling water, for serving
- ice, for serving
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the berries and sugar in a medium bowl. Use a muddler or the back of a fork to crush the berries thoroughly, releasing their juice and working the sugar into the fruit until a wet, jammy mixture forms.
- 2
Stir in the kosher salt, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to a glass jar. Refrigerate for at least 48 hours, stirring or shaking once or twice, until the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture has released a deep, syrupy liquid.
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