Easy Eats Recipe: Honey and berry shrub cordial

This berry and honey shrub is easy to make. Photo: Kelly Gibney

Here's an easy edible gift - for yourself or someone else - that requires minimal effort.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups frozen berries, thawed

1/2 cup honey (any will do)

1 cup apple cider vinegar

Method

Place the berries and honey in a jar and mix well, mashing the berries to break them up as much as possible. Place the lid on and leave on the kitchen bench at room temperature for 1 day, stirring or shaking a couple of times. Add the vinegar to the jar, place in the fridge and leave to infuse for 2 days.

Use a strainer to extract as much liquid as possible the fruit and vinegar mix. Let the mixture strain for 30 minutes without pressing the fruit (this avoids sediment in your end product). Discard fruit. Give the cordial another few days to let the flavours mellow and develop before using. Store in the fridge in a jar or bottle for up to two months. The flavour will mellow further as the shrub ages.

To serve: Pour 2-3 tablespoons of the shrub into a glass filled with ice. Top with soda water. Garnish with some fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme.

Photo: Kelly Gibney

Kelly Gibney is an Auckland-based food writer, photographer and cookbook author. Her latest book ENJOY: Food worth sharing with the people you love shares delicious and achievable ideas for making every meal memorable. She also shares weekly recipes via her newsletter.