This morning I was moving some of my vinegar from a big crock into smaller bottles and I thought I'd play around with making shrub. This is a delightfully refreshing, very 18th century drink made of vinegar, sometimes fruit flavored and sugar. You mix it with cold water and drink in the summer. My vinegar is obscenely sour and I noticed that after adding a little sugar it mellowed. Then I added some sapa, cooked down grape must I made a few years ago, to give it some thickness and depth. As I was doing this I noticed a bottle of balsamic vinegar, which my wife buys from Trader Joes. I know very well you can't buy real balsamic vinegar for 5 bucks, though the label here does fake it: from Modena and I.G.P. which is an indication of protected geographical origin. Which means part of it must be made somewhere near Modena. But here's the best part. I tasted it side my side with my sweetened musted vinegar and they are absolutely indistinguishable. I guess I should take that as an insult to my shrub, huh?
3 comments:
I've made a few shrubs now and I think they are grand... cool idea to add the vin cotta to the mix to give it oomph. Although, thinking about a few great balsamics I've had... the ones like syrup and old as the hills... well, I could see drinking them without a problem... a little fruit and prosecco and I am good to go!
I made an elderberry shrub with fruit hanging over from my neighbour's garden in Hackney, London. Very tasty and stopped a head cold in its tracks too. I am testing out recipes and visiting artisan food producers working in cities for my new book The Modern Peasant.
Interestingly, the inexpensive 'balsamic' from Trader Joes is actually delicious - very fruity and sweet. It makes a great reduction, and is highly suitable when you want to emphasize those qualities (strawberry balsamic jam, berry vinegatettes, fruity shrubs, mixed drinks, etc). Is it 'real' aged balsamic? Nope, but it is delicious, inexpensive, and provides a flavor profile that's rare, if not absent, in real aged balsamic. I love my 18 year old from Zingermans, too.
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