Plum Shrub

Serves
makes about 5 1/2 cups

PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS PAYNE

Published on June 12, 2019

Girl Meets Dirt founder Audra Lawlor uses the precious juice left over from making plum paste (plumbrillo) for this bright, tangy shrub.

While a similar product can be made by macerating whole plums in sugar to extract a syrup, Girl Meets Dirt founder Audra Lawlor likes the harmony of using the "waste" from her Plum Paste (Plumbrillo) for this tangy cocktail mixer. Add a splash of the shrub to a glass of seltzer, or shake over ice with tequila and lime.

Featured in: This Orcas Island Jam Company Transforms Local Plums into Vibrant Seasonal Preserves

Equipment

ADVERTISEMENTAD

Ingredients

3 cups strained Italian plum juice (reserved from Plumbrillo), divided
3¼ cups sugar
1 cup white wine vinegar

ADVERTISEMENTAD

Instructions

Step 1

In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a candy thermometer, add 1 cup of the plum juice and all of the sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure the sugar dissolves quickly. Regulate the heat to prevent the mixture from boiling over, and cook until it is thickened and registers 230–234°F on the thermometer (the “thread” stage), about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Immediately stir in the remaining 2 cups plum juice. Add the vinegar and cook until the mixture registers 182°F on the thermometer, then maintain that temperature for 1 minute to pasteurize. Remove from the heat, and carefully transfer the shrub to sterilized bottles or jars. Clean the rims and sides with a kitchen towel and seal firmly with lids. Follow recommended water bath canning procedures to jar, or let cool completely and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a candy thermometer, add 1 cup of the plum juice and all of the sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure the sugar dissolves quickly. Regulate the heat to prevent the mixture from boiling over, and cook until it is thickened and registers 230–234°F on the thermometer (the “thread” stage), about 10 minutes.
Immediately stir in the remaining 2 cups plum juice. Add the vinegar and cook until the mixture registers 182°F on the thermometer, then maintain that temperature for 1 minute to pasteurize. Remove from the heat, and carefully transfer the shrub to sterilized bottles or jars. Clean the rims and sides with a kitchen towel and seal firmly with lids. Follow recommended water bath canning procedures to jar, or let cool completely and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.