Balo Orozco, formerly with Sunset Cultures, says all it takes to preserve fruit is vinegar and sugar. With just a bit of water, the concoction becomes a shrub that can be drunk on its own or combined with alcohol to make a cocktail.
Orozco is using blueberries, yuzu, and the bitter herb moringa for one of his shrubs. Another combines Santa Rosa plums and grapefruit. At the Santa Monica Farmers' Market this week, he hauled away 150 pounds of passion fruit.
The process is simple, something anyone can do at home, Orozco says. For a foolproof cocktail, he recommends macerating strawberries in sugar with apple cider vinegar then straining them and adding them to mezcal or gin, sparkling water, and a bit of lemon or lime.
Orozco alternates between white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and a variety he makes using the skins of Barbera grapes, which he ferments for a couple of years.
Store your shrubs in the refrigerator to prevent oxidation and they can last up to a year.
You'll find Orozco pouring his kombucha and shrubs every Sunday at the Hollywood Farmers' Market. You can also order them online with free shipping in the LA area.