Orange, Bay & Thyme Shrub

A bright citrus-and-herb shrub — orange-peel oleo carrying thyme and bay over a split white-wine / apple-cider vinegar base. Cold track.

Ingredients

• White Sugar1 cup
• Orange (peel of, whole)3 each
• Thyme Sprigs6 each
• Bay Leaves2 each
• White Wine Vinegar0.8 cup
• Apple Cider Vinegar0.8 cup

Directions

Put the orange peels in the sugar and rest ~4 hours to draw a baby oleo-saccharum (no added water). Meanwhile, in a glass jar, combine the white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar with the thyme sprigs and bay leaves and steep on the counter. Add the oleo to the herbed vinegar, stir, and refrigerate overnight to dissolve and integrate. If sugar lingers, shake and rest cold longer. Strain before bottling.

Notes

Cold track per the House Shrub Method: orange peels in 1 cup sugar ~4 hrs to draw an oleo (no added water), thyme and bay cold-steeped in the split vinegar, married and rested overnight. The orange peel's oleo draw does most of the dissolution work, so the sugar goes into the 1.5 cups vinegar cleanly. Apple cider vinegar rounds the white-wine edge. Ratio ~1 : 1.5 (sugar : vinegar) — between a fruit shrub and the gin shrub, which suits a citrus-peel-driven build.