How to make Tomato and Australian Native Pepperberry Shrub, a savoury and tangy tomato shrub using an Australian native ingredient.
Shrubs or drinking vinegars, a basic combination of fruit, sugar, vinegar and additional flavouring have become a popular cocktail ingredient in recent times. We’ve previously covered how to make shrubs and how to use shrubs or drinking vinegars in cocktails. In this article, we’re featuring our recipe for making a savoury and tangy tomato shrub using Australian Native Pepperberry.
The Native Pepperberry (Tasmannia lanceolata) is an Australian native ingredients we’ve previously used in making tinctures. Much like finger limes, this native bush food makes its way into the culinary and cocktail worlds. The Native Pepperberry has an intense peppery bite said to be about ten times hotter than conventional pepper. The heat builds over time and the berry imparts a mineral-like flavour on the finish with a savoury note.
To make the Tomato and Australian Native Pepperberry Shrub, we used malt vinegar, an ingredient that is integral to the flavour profile of this shrub. Malt vinegar is mild, malty, savoury and slightly sweet. It’s commonly used as a condiment on fish and chips and adds a tanginess that works very well with the umami notes of the tomatoes and gives the shrub a complex flavour.
Tomato and Australian Native Pepperberry Shrub Recipe
Original recipe created by Cocktails & Bars
Ingredients
- 500 g tomatoes, chopped
- 1 heaped teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of whole Australian native pepperberries, crushed
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup malt vinegar
Equipment
- large glass jar with a lid
- fine strainer
- cheese cloth
- clean glass bottle with lid
Method
In a glass jar, add the chopped tomatoes, salt, crushed pepperberries and caster sugar. Stir the mixture well, cover and leave in the fridge for 24 hours.
The next day, remove the jar from the fridge, stir the mixture and add the malt vinegar. Stir again and return to fridge for 48 hours. Give the jar a gentle shake every day, tasting as you go if you wish.
Using a fine strainer lined with a cheese cloth, strain the shrub and discard the solids. Bottle the shrub and leave it in the fridge for 7 days for the flavours to develop.
Next… how to use the tomato shrub in ‘Girt By Sea‘, our Australia Day Cocktail for 2018
Photo by Cocktails & Bars – © Copyright: All rights reserved.
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