Schusters Shrub Blueberry-Raspberry Syrup. Fruit syrup based on apple cider vinegar made from blueberries and raspberries – for salad dressing, lemonade, and aperitif.

Schusters Shrub Blueberry-Raspberry Syrup is a vinegar-based fruit syrup made from sugar, apple cider vinegar, blueberries, and raspberries by Schusters Spezialitäten from Untersteinbach in the Steigerwald. According to the manufacturer, the blueberries come from their own cultivation. Alcohol-free, 250 ml in a glass bottle. Not a sweet berry syrup, not a ready-made dressing, no added flavorings – three ingredients that you mix yourself with water, sparkling wine, or oil.

Shrub Blueberry-Raspberry from Schusters Shrub is currently the manufacturer's most popular variety, according to the producer. Shrub is a vinegar-based fruit syrup consisting of three ingredients: fruit, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. The berries are placed as whole fruit into apple cider vinegar and remain there for several weeks until the vinegar has absorbed their color and aroma. They are then pressed, the fruit vinegar is seasoned with sugar, and it is bottled hot. The vinegar provides acidity and highlights the fruit; the aroma comes solely from the berries. According to the manufacturer, the word derives from the Arabic "sharba" for syrup; in the 19th century, shrub was popular in the USA as a raspberry-vinegar drink. Hanna Schuster, a food technology graduate, encountered it during a semester abroad in Pennsylvania and developed the first original recipe with her mother. Shrub from the Steigerwald has been available since 2012. The blend of blueberry and raspberry is the variety that most frequently finds its way into salad bowls and glasses.

Taste

Shrub Blueberry-Raspberry tastes intensely fruity and berry-like: the blueberry provides a dark color and depth, while the raspberry adds a bright, fresh berry note on top. The apple cider vinegar holds both together with its acidity.

The syrup is concentrated, sweet, and tart when consumed pure – this is intentional, as it is always diluted or used in small quantities. When mixed with water, it creates a lemonade that tastes of berries and is less sweet than what you might be used to from store-bought lemonade. In a dressing, it takes on the role of fruit: a berry note that pairs well with green salad, goat cheese, and nuts. The color is deep violet-red and comes solely from the berries.

Those expecting a sweet berry syrup for children's lemonade will find the shrub tart. The vinegar is part of the flavor profile and remains noticeable even when highly diluted. For those who appreciate exactly this freshness of berries, this is the variety most requested from the manufacturer.

Usage

For salad dressing, the manufacturer has a fool-proof recipe. Whisk five tablespoons of wine vinegar with one to two tablespoons of shrub, salt, and pepper. Then whisk in two tablespoons each of safflower oil and olive oil and add a finely chopped shallot and fresh herbs.

The dressing goes well with field and leaf salads and especially with baby spinach and goat cheese. The manufacturer’s quick version is even faster: shrub, a squeeze of lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper – ready in two minutes. In a barbecue sauce, a spoonful provides a fruity note for grilled meat. As a dessert, pour the syrup as a thin glaze over panna cotta.

For lemonade, add one part shrub to ten to fifteen parts ice-cold, sparkling mineral water, which is 1.5 to 2 cl for a 0.2-liter glass. For an aperitif, replace the water with sparkling wine or Prosecco in a 1:10 ratio; according to the manufacturer, this makes for a fruity aperitif with a deep red color. Put the syrup in the glass first, then pour in the liquid and stir briefly. For guests, simply place the bottle on the table next to the sparkling water and bubbly, and everyone can mix their own.

Store the bottle in a cool, dark place. The red color comes solely from the berries and can turn slightly brownish in the light over time; the taste remains unchanged. According to the manufacturer, the shrub has a shelf life of three years and can be stored without refrigeration even after opening.

Our tip: For field salad with walnuts and goat cheese, the quick version is perfectly sufficient – shrub, lemon juice, oil. Whisk the dressing just before serving so the salad stays crisp and the violet hue of the syrup remains visible.

Origin

Schusters Spezialitäten is based in Untersteinbach, a district of the municipality of Rauhenebrach in the Haßberge district, in the middle of the Steigerwald in Franconia. Johannes and Hanna Schuster run the small family manufactory with transparent production, a farm shop, and tasting tours; Hanna Schuster and her family handle the bottling themselves.

The blueberries for this variety come from their own cultivation, according to the manufacturer, and he describes the raspberries as aromatic. In general, the family processes fruits as regionally as possible and harvests a portion of them themselves. Soft berries are put into the apple cider vinegar as whole fruit because the vinegar penetrates them on its own; hard fruits like quinces are chopped beforehand, and citrus fruits are sliced. After pressing, the fruit vinegar is seasoned and bottled hot, which ensures it stays fresh for a long time. Everything from the recipe to the label is done on-site, according to the manufacturer. If you are in the area, you can taste all varieties in the farm shop. During the tasting tour, the family shows the bottling process live in the production room and serves the shrubs neat, as dressing, and as lemonade.

You can find more about the family and the other varieties on our Schusters Shrub page.

For whom

Shrub Blueberry-Raspberry is the bottle for anyone who prefers to dress their own salad rather than using ready-made dressing from a bottle. On a summer evening, it becomes the lemonade you mix yourself, and with sparkling wine, the aperitif before dinner. It fits perfectly on the family table, as an aperitif with guests, and as a gift for friends who love to cook.

Those who like berries in their pure form should choose the Shrub Raspberry Syrup, the manufacturer’s classic; those who prefer a darker, more tart flavor will enjoy the Shrub Blackcurrant Syrup. Other syrups can be found in our Syrup category. The shrub is not suitable for those looking for a mild, sweet berry lemonade – the acidity of the apple cider vinegar is an essential part of it.

Blueberries from their own cultivation, raspberries, and apple cider vinegar – the fruit syrup from the Steigerwald with which you can mix your own dressing, lemonade, and aperitif.