This Pear Shrub with Cardamom brings a balance of sweetness, tartness, and warming spice that makes it a perfect addition to your kitchen. Whether you enjoy it in cocktails, mocktails, or even in salad dressing, this shrub will add a burst of bright flavor!
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Best Pear Shrub Recipe with Cardamom
I am starting to believe that a homemade shrub is really the key to the best homemade complex drink. So much much flavor is packed into a homemade shrub that I think you can add them to your favorite spirits with some ice and that is all you really need to make a drink. Or even better yet they are the key to a perfect mocktail, also sometimes referred to as drinking vinegar adding a bit of shrub to sparkling water gives you everything you love about cocktails in a non-alcoholic version.
This version of shrub takes the sweetness of the pears, combines it with white wine vinegar for a perfect balance, and then tops it off with a little flavor of cardamom to create a more complex flavor. As all shrubs are this recipe is easy to make your own by adjusting the vinegar and spices!
What is a Shrub?
A shrub is a concentrated syrup made from fruit, sugar, and vinegar. Traditionally shrubs were used as a way to preserve fruit flavors, since the vinegar would make the shrub last. Shrubs don't have to be just fruit, you could also use any plants like vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs.
Shrubs are known for their concentrated flavor and tartness from the vinegar, much stronger than most cordials or simple syrups. Shrubs add a depth and complexity to anything its added to, making it a versatile addition to any home bar or kitchen.
My method of making shrubs is extremely hands off although it does take some time. I like to use Maceration to get a strong concentrated flavor. Especially because we are using delicate flavors from pears in this shrub. Alternatively some prefer to make shrubs using a hot method, which would involve making the a syrup on the stove and then adding the vinegar.
Maceration
This Orange Shrub uses the process of maceration. This involves the sugars breaking down the fruit and out comes the natural juices.
In the case of fresh fruit, particularly soft fruits, the fruit is often simply sprinkled with sugar (and sometimes a small amount of salt or herbs) and left to sit and release its own juices. These juices are a concentrated syrup.
Equipment Needed
- Pint Jar with a Lid – For storing and shaking the ingredients. I like to use the Ball Wide Mouth Jars but really any glass jar with a lid will work.
- Fine Mesh Strainer Affiliate Link – To strain out the pear solids and cardamom.
- Grater – To finely grate the pear for better extraction of juices.
- Measuring Cups – For precise sugar and vinegar measurements.
- Rubber Spatula - This helps get all the goodness out of the jar and fruits when straining.
Ingredients
- Fresh Pear - Each pear variety offers a slightly different flavor. Bartlett pears bring a bright, fresh sweetness, while Bosc pears have a deeper, honeyed flavor. Feel free to experiment with different types like Anjou, or Asian pears all work well.
- Granulated Sugar - For this shrub plain sugar works best, I didn't want brown sugar to overpower the taste of pear.
- White Wine Vinegar - Adjust this to taste as much as you need to. If you don't have any white wine vinegar I would use apple cider vinegar as a replacement.
- Cardamom Pods - The more fresh the better, you will want to crush them with either a mortar and pestle or the blunt side of a knife to help release the flavors before adding it to the shrub. In a pinch you can use ground cardamom you will want to use about ½ teaspoon.
Instructions
Prepare the Pear & Sugar
Grate the pear using a box grater and place it in a clean pint jar.
Slowly add as much sugar as you can, filling the jar to the top.
Secure the lid and shake well to coat the pear in sugar.
Let the mixture rest for about 20 minutes.
Open the jar and add more sugar, repeating the process until all sugar is incorporated.
Resting the Pear Syrup
Once all the sugar is added, seal the jar tightly and shake well.
Store in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator overnight.
Shake occasionally if you have time to help the sugar dissolve into the pear juices.
Strain & Add Vinegar
The next day, bring the jar to room temperature.
Use a fine mesh strainer Affiliate Link to strain the grated pear from the syrup. (Save the pear for later!)
Measure the amount of pear syrup you have.
Transfer the syrup back into the jar and add half that amount in white wine vinegar (e.g., if you have 6 ounces of syrup, add 3 ounces of vinegar). If you prefer a tangier shrub, add up to ¾ of the syrup amount in vinegar.
Infuse with Cardamom
Lightly crush the cardamom pods to release their aromas.
Add them to the shrub mixture and stir gently.
Seal the jar again and let it rest overnight in a cool, dark place or in the fridge.
Final Strain & Storage
The next day, strain out the cardamom pods using a clean fine mesh strainer Affiliate Link.
Transfer the finished shrub back to a clean jar.
Store in the fridge, where it will last for several weeks to a few months.
Your Cardamom Pear Shrub is now ready to use!
Uses For your Pear Shrub...
• Make my Pear Shrub Cocktail featuring Brut Champagne and Lemon Juice.
• Add 1-2 tablespoons to a glass of sparkling water over ice for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink.
• Replace the simple syrup in many vodka, gin, bourbon, or rum cocktails for a complex and flavorful drink.
• Think outside beverages and try adding it to salad dressings or marinades for a sweet-tart depth of flavor.
Tips, Tricks and Questions
If you like Shrubs you might also like:
Pear Shrub
A Pear Shrub Recipe flavored with cardamom. Perfect for mocktails and cocktails.
Ingredients
- 1 large pear
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 to 6 ounces white wine vinegar
- 4-5 whole cardamom
Instructions
- Grate the pear and add to a pint jar. Slowly add as much of the sugar as you can. Once the sugar is to the top add the lid of the jar and shake well. Let rest about 20 minutes. Open the jar and add more sugar to the top. Cover and shake well. If you still have more sugar left repeat the process letting it rest 20 more minutes or so then adding the rest of the sugar and giving a good shake.
- Once all the sugar is added and the jar is closed tightly. Shake well and keep in a cool dark area of uour house or transfer to the refrigerator. Let rest overnight, shaking occasionally if you have time.
- After resting at least one night transfer the jar to the counter, let it come to room temperature. Use a fine mesh stainer to strain the grated pear from the pear syrup. You can reuse the pear for other recipes if you wish, like add it to the dehydrator for fruit leather.
- Measure the amount of pear syrup and transfer the pear syrup back to the jar. Use the measurement of pear syrup and divide it in half, use that number to add that much white wine vinegar to the pear syrup. If you like your shrub on the more acidic side add about ¾ measurement of the pear syrup.
- Crush the cardamom pods and add the the pear shrub. Cover and transfer back to the cool space or fridge. Let the pear shrub rest again overnight.
- After resting overnight use a clean fine mesh strainer to strain out the cardamom. Tranfer the pear shrub back to the jar. Your Cardamom Pear Shrub is now ready to use. Add to cocktails, mocktails, champagne, or sparkling water.
Notes
Making a shrub doesn't have to be an exact thing. If you let the pear and sugar rest for 2 or 3 days instead of one night it will be equally and good. Also feel free to add the amount of vinegar that seems right to you. Same with the spices add more or less cardamom or even other spices.
Use any type of pear, each different type will bring a slight different taste to the shrub. For testing I used Bartlett because I like the freshness of the flavor but other pears like Bosc Pear, Anjous Pear, and Asian Pear.
The leftover fruit from the shrub makes a delicious fruit leather or garnish. Spread thin in a 200ºF oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 0g
Nutritional data is automated and might not be 100% accurate, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.
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