A fermented drink: Soda with Ginger-Mint Shrub

On Mother’s Day, I want to mention how supportive amma has been of this blog.  She has often contributed the recipes featured here such as the Lemon Pickle in the fermentation series and the sweet Cashew barfi treat she made for our anniversary.  Also with a keen eye for aesthetics, she has often arranged the food for the photos.   In this and many other ways, we are blessed to have such a beautiful and wonderful mother.

It was a very lazy day today.  After initially planning to take amma out for a Mother’s Day lunch, we changed our minds and decided to eat at home.  The spicy spinach rice I made was complemented well by today’s featured item for the fermentation series, a soda with home-made ginger-mint shrub.

Soda with Ginger-Mint Shrub

Mary Karlin says in her beautiful book, Mastering Fermentation, that shrubs are sweet-sour syrups that date back to colonial America and can be used to make cocktails.  The recipe for the ginger-mint shrub I made came from the same book.  V and I can’t get enough of ginger and with fresh mint growing like weed in our garden, I just fell in to this recipe.  As with any fermented stuff, one has to be patient and give enough time for the bacteria and yeast to do their thing.   However the intense flavors that the fermentation brings out from the mint and ginger makes it totally worth the wait.

Soda with Ginger-Mint Shrub

Recipe for Soda with Ginger-Mint Shrub
From Mastering Fermentation by Mary Karlin

[Printable Recipe]

Makes enough for around 6 people
Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves + a couple of sprigs of fresh mint
  • 3/4 cup raw organic apple cider vinegar (use one with live mother cultures like Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar)
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup raw unrefined cane sugar
  • 1 bottle of sparkling water
  • A few ice cubes if you like
  • Plus about 2 weeks of patience!
Method:
Step 1 – Infusing the apple cider vinegar with flavor
  • In a wide-mouthed mason jar, combine the ginger and mint leaves and massage them with fingers to release juices and fragrance
  • Add the apple cider vinegar, close the jar and shake thoroughly
  • Remove the lid and loosely cover the jar with a cheese cloth and leave it untouched overnight for about 12 hours
Step 1 for Making Shrub: Ginger and Mint leaves in Apple Cider Vinegar

Step 2 – Fermenting at room temperature

  • After 12 hours, screw the lid on tightly and shake thoroughly
  • Leave it to ferment at room temperature for 7 days, shaking the jar vigorously every day
  • After 7 days, strain out the ginger and mint, pressing with the back of a spoon or fingers to get the last bit of flavor from the ginger and mint
Step 2 for Making Shrub: Strain out the ginger and mint and add fresh mint sprigs

Step 3 – Fermenting in the refrigerator

  • Stir the lemon juice and sugar into the strained liquid until the sugar dissolves
  • Add the fresh mint sprigs, close with a lid and shake vigorously for 10 seconds
  • Refrigerate for 7 days, shaking the jar every day
  • After 7 days, the shrub is ready to use and will last up to 4 months in the refrigerator
Step 4 – Making the soda
  • Mix 2 Tbsp of shrub with about 6 oz of sparkling water, add ice cubes if desired and enjoy (adjust the proportions of the shrub to sparkling water to your liking after a sip)
Soda with Ginger-Mint Shrub
The ginger-mint shrub soda is a refreshing burst of flavors on the tongue with an intense aroma.  Sweet and sour, gingery and minty, V thought it would also be great for an upset stomach.  He is probably right, what with all the probiotics from the fermentation, plus the ginger, plus the mint!!   In any case, it is a super-refreshing drink.   So start a batch now as warm days are approaching.  I plan to try to make shrub in a few other flavors as well, such as Strawberry-Lemon shrub.  Will keep you posted!