POTIONS & PREPS | The Equinox Elixir: Pear, Ginger & Rosemary Shrub
Photography and Food Styling by Kübra Doğu
Ripe pear, fresh ginger, rosemary and apple cider vinegar come together in a sweet-tart drinking shrub made for the transition from summer into autumn.
September sits between seasons. Pears are ripening, evenings are arriving earlier, and the kitchen begins moving from summer's fresh abundance toward the flavors we preserve for colder months. For a Mabon table, a shrub feels especially appropriate. These sweet-and-sour concentrates combine fruit, sugar or another sweetener, and vinegar, drawing on a much older tradition of acidulated and preserved drinks. (Institute of Culinary Education)
This version uses pear for mellow sweetness, ginger for warmth and rosemary for its distinctly green, resinous fragrance. Ginger has a long culinary and traditional-use history and has also been studied clinically, particularly for certain forms of nausea, although research on supplements should not be confused with the effects of a culinary drink. (NCCIH) Rosemary contains aromatic and phenolic compounds including rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid and carnosol. (PubMed Central (PMC)) Here, however, these plants are ingredients rather than medicine. This is a seasonal drinking vinegar made to taste good.
The Equinox Elixir
Makes approximately 2 to 2½ cups
Ingredients
2 ripe but firm pears, diced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup honey
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 small sprig fresh rosemary
2 strips lemon peel
Small pinch of kosher or sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the fruit. Wash, core and dice the pears, leaving the peel on. Place them in a clean glass jar with the ginger, rosemary and lemon peel.
Release the juices. Gently press the pears with a wooden spoon or muddler. Do not puree them; simply break them enough to begin releasing their juice.
Add the vinegar. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and make sure the fruit is well saturated. Cover and refrigerate.
Infuse for 2 to 3 days. Gently shake the jar once or twice daily. Taste after the second day and remove the rosemary early if its flavor has become strong enough.
Strain. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing the pears gently. Strain through cheesecloth a second time if you prefer a clearer shrub.
Sweeten. Stir in the honey and a small pinch of salt until dissolved.
Bottle and refrigerate. Transfer to a clean glass bottle or jar and keep refrigerated. This is a refrigerated culinary preparation, not a shelf-stable canning recipe.
To Serve
Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of shrub with 6 to 8 ounces of sparkling or still water. It can also be stirred into iced tea or warm water for cooler September evenings. Because vinegar is acidic, the concentrate is intended to be diluted.
The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. Pear captures the September harvest, while ginger and rosemary hint at the colder kitchen ahead. The vinegar changes fresh fruit into something that can linger a little longer, which is ultimately what preservation has always been about: not stopping the season from changing, but carrying a little of it with us when it does.
Sources & Further Reading
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. “Ginger: Usefulness and Safety.” An evidence-based overview of ginger's traditional uses, clinical research and safety considerations. (NCCIH)
Read at NCCIH
Nieto, Gema, Gaspar Ros and Julián Castillo. “Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.): A Review.” Medicines, 2018. Reviews rosemary's major phenolic and aromatic constituents, including rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid and carnosol. (PubMed Central (PMC))
Read the research at PubMed Central
Institute of Culinary Education. “What the Shrub Is a Drinking Vinegar?” A culinary overview of shrubs and the combination of fruit, sugar and vinegar used to make them. (Institute of Culinary Education)
Read at the Institute of Culinary Education
