My first shrubs and syrups used fruit that can handle a little heat, like raspberries and strawberries, or even break down better with it, like rhubarb. But when I faced an excess of watermelon juice after turning the flesh of a large melon into Watermelon-Mint Sorbet, a recipe I shared last week, I shrank from the idea of cooking the juice.
Instead, I developed a recipe that happens entirely at room temperature. It starts by creating a sweet, ultra-fresh concentrated syrup from juice and ultrafine sugar, which dissolves more readily than standard granulated sugar. If you simply add the basil to the syrup, use it within a few days. Add a little neutral-tasting alcohol and lime juice as well, and you stretch the syrup’s fridge life to a couple of weeks.
The concentrated syrup can also be frozen for longer storage. The sugar guarantees a soft set but won’t prevent the fresh taste from fading within a couple of months. Store Watermelon-Basil Syrup in an airtight container in the freezer for easy scooping. I typically add 1 to 2 tablespoons to a glass of lemonade, sparkling water or a summery cocktail like Mega-Mint Mojito.
To make the syrup last even longer, turn it into a shrub. The vinegar’s tang balances the natural and added sweetness of the watermelon syrup, and its acidity keeps the concentrate fresh in the refrigerator for months.
You can use the same approach to transform other 100% juices into syrup or shrub. If you don’t have ultrafine sugar, heat the vinegar and granulated sugar together until the sugar dissolves and then let it cool to room temperature before you mix it with the juice.
Use Watermelon-Basil Shrub like you would the concentrate for a Raspberry Shrub Mocktail or Cocktail. It’s delicious on its own or with a splash of lime juice in seltzer or club soda. It also makes a tasty twist on a mezcalita or gin sour.
Watermelon-Basil Syrup or Shrub
Makes 1-3/4 to 2-1/2 cups
1-1/2 cups watermelon juice
1/2 cup ultrafine sugar
1 ounce vodka or rum (optional)
1/2 ounce lime juice (optional)
3/4 cup white wine vinegar, if making shrub
8 large fresh basil leaves
In a quart-sized jar or bottle, combine the juice and sugar. Close with a leakproof lid and shake briskly until the sugar dissolves.
If making syrup, add the alcohol and lime juice, if desired, and shake again until combined. If making shrub, pour the vinegar into the container and shake again until combined.
Bruise the basil leaves by piling them in your hand and slapping them several times. Add them to the jar, replace the lid and shake well to distribute their flavor. Refrigerate for one to two days, and then strain out the basil. In the refrigerator, the syrup will keep for about five days without the alcohol and lime juice and about two weeks with it; the shrub concentrate will keep for several months.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger. Learn more about this month’s pickling workshops at TwiceAsTasty.com.