Sweet and sour notes blend beautifully to awaken the taste buds in this Citrus & Pine Winter Shrub. Perfect for toasting the shortest day of the year—the Winter Solstice—and bringing a little citrus sunshine to winter, this seasonal drink features warming notes of ginger, pine, cinnamon, and clove. Serve it at your next gathering as a festive zero-proof cocktail, or drizzle it over a snow cone for the kids after the first snowfall.

Citrus & Pine Winter Shrub

No, I am not talking about a holly bush or a dwarf pine.  I am referring to a drink originating from 17^th Century England and later brought to Colonial America, where apple cider vinegar and sugar were used as a way of preserving seasonal fruit to be enjoyed out of season.  What results is a fruity, sweet-tart syrup to add to fizzy, sparkling water.  There are many variations to this recipe as you can use whatever fruit is in season. Check out my Summer Sunshine Shrub for a summer version. Ultimately, this particular recipe combines all my favorite winter flavors for a fun and nutritious way to ring in the winter season by adding a bit of “special” to your Winter Solstice Tradition or any other holiday gathering.

Foraging for White Pine with Herb Fairies

As I am continuing my third year in the Herbal Academy, I found a way for my children to learn about herbs alongside me in a way that inspired their creativity and drew them outdoors. Learning Herbs has an amazing program called Herb Fairies, a collection of thirteen storybooks that lead children on an adventure into discovering the healing properties of herbs. Each tiny booklet focuses on one herb and includes recipes, activities, as well as the practical application of each herb. Since the connected stories lead them through the seasons, no matter what season we are in, there are always healing adventures to be had. One of our favorites is Book 10, The Root of Kindness because we love working with White Pine. 

White Pine

White Pine is available year-round but is especially fun to work with in winter, when fresh sources of vitamin C have traditionally been highly valued. White Pine needles contain vitamin C and have a long history of use in traditional herbal preparations, particularly during the winter months. In traditional Western herbalism, pine is considered warming and drying and has been used to support respiratory wellness. There is something wonderfully strengthening about gathering from this beautiful evergreen in the middle of winter—when so much of the landscape is dormant, the Great White Pine remains green and full of life.

For this recipe, I recommend using Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) rather than substituting another evergreen. Always positively identify any wild plant before consuming it, as some needle-bearing evergreens, including yew, are toxic.

A Note on Foraging White Pine

For this recipe, I use Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus). Its soft needles grow in bundles, called fascicles, of five—an easy characteristic to remember when identifying the tree.

As with any wild food, proper identification is essential. Not every needle-bearing evergreen is edible, and some look-alikes, particularly yew (Taxus species), are highly toxic. Never harvest an evergreen for food unless you can positively identify the species and know that it is safe for consumption. If you are uncertain, don’t use it.

I also recommend avoiding pine preparations during pregnancy unless you have discussed their use with a qualified healthcare professional.

Ingredients for Citrus & Pine Winter Shrub:

• 2 large organic oranges, skin on, quartered
• 1 organic Meyer lemon, skin on, quartered
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• ½ cup chopped white pine
• 1-inch fresh ginger peeled and chopped or minced
• 1 lemongrass stalk coarsely chopped or 2 tsp coriander seed (optional)
• 1/4 cup dried elderberries (optional)
• 1/4 cup dried hibiscus flower (optional)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 5 cloves
• 3 cardamom pods
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Method:

• In a clean 1/2 gallon jar or jug, add quartered oranges, lemons, and cranberries
• Pound or muddle with the back of a spoon or sauerkraut pounder to release juices
• Add chopped pine and twigs, ginger, lemongrass or coriander, elderberries (if using), hibiscus (if using), cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and cloves.
• Add honey, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.  Stir to dissolve honey.
• Cover with a plastic lid or line a metal lid with wax paper, then refrigerate for 10 days. Alternatively, you can infuse on the counter for 3 days, then refrigerate for 2 days, shaking daily, until the flavors meld, the probiotics multiply, and everything gets yummialized.  
• After the infusing period is complete, strain your shrub through a fine mesh strainer, firmly pressing and squeezing out all the juice.  Transfer to a clean, dry jar or bottle, place a fun lid on it for easy dispensing, and label clearly.
• Serve with crushed ice, ¼ cup shrub, and fizzy water or for a special winter treat, drizzle over freshly fallen snow in a snow cone (white snow only).
• Fifteen minutes of active time, not including foraging. Allow ten days for the flavors to infuse if placed directly in the refrigerator, or three days on the counter followed by two days in the refrigerator. Yields approximately three cups of syrup.

Fifteen minutes of active time, not including foraging. Let the flavors infuse in the refrigerator for 10 days. Yields approximately three cups of syrup.

Yield: 3 cups

Citrus & Pine Winter Shrub

5.0 Stars (1 Review)

Print

Sweet and sour notes blend beautifully to awaken the tastebuds in this Citrus & Pine Winter Shrub. Perfect to toast the shortest day of the year, the Winter Solstice, and bring in some citrus sunshine. Set off with warming notes of ginger, pine, cinnamon, and clove, this probiotic-rich beverage is perfect to serve at your next gathering as a zero-proof cocktail or drizzle on a snow cone for the kids at the first snowfall.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 10 days

Total Time 10 days 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 organic oranges quartered
• 1 organic Meyer lemon quartered
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh white pine needles and small twigs
• 1 inch knob fresh ginger grated
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/4 cup dried elderberries (optional)
• 1 stalk lemongrass chopped (optional)
• 2 cups organic raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (if you like a sweeter shrub)

Instructions

1. Wash the oranges and lemon thoroughly under running water, then quarter them. Do not peel.
2. Add all ingredients to a clean half-gallon glass jar with a screw-top or clamp-style lid.
3. Using a wooden spoon or sauerkraut pounder, press firmly to mash the fruit and release the juices.
4. Cover with a non-corrosive lid and place directly in the refrigerator. Allow the shrub to infuse for about 10 days, stirring or gently shaking occasionally.
5. After the infusing period, strain the solids through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Compost or discard the solids.
6. Transfer the shrub to a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid and keep refrigerated. For the best quality, use within 4–6 months. Discard without tasting if you notice mold, unusual bubbling, cloudiness, sliminess, or an off odor.
7. To serve, fill a glass halfway with crushed ice. Add 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup of shrub, according to taste, and top with sparkling water. Stir and enjoy.
8. The shrub also makes a delicious syrup for shaved or crushed ice—a fun treat for celebrating the first snowfall.

Citrus & Pine Winter Shrub Snow Cones For the Kids

Do you ever just crave a snow cone? Me either. But my kids ask if they can make snow cones every time it snows. As long as they collect the fresh fallen “white” snow and steer clear of the yellow, I am game.

Citrus & Pine Winter Shrub makes a delicious syrup for their snow cones. Instead of the brightly colored dyes and highly processed syrups found in many store-bought varieties, this homemade version is made with simple ingredients and the flavors of the season. Sweet, tart, citrusy, and spiced, it turns that first snowfall into an extra-special winter treat.

Check Out my Youtube Post on Summer Sunshine Shrub for a Tutorial

Although the Citrus & Pine Winter Shrub has different ingredients, the Summer Sunshine Shrub uses the same basic elements of fruit, herbs, spices, apple cider vinegar, and honey. If you would like a video tutorial, for all my visual learners, this video on Summer Sunshine Shrub on YouTube will be helpful.

Shop This Post

Sauerkraut Pounder

Herbal Adventures for Kids (a wonderful herbal introduction book for kids. This recipe is adapted from one I found in this book.)

Herb Fairies

1/2 gallon wide mouth mason jar

Mason jar lids with pour spouts

If you want a great book to introduce your children to the concept of the microbiome, healthy bacteria, the importance of eating nutritious food, and the role that probiotics and prebiotics play in our health, then The Army Inside You: A Children’s Guide to the Microbiome by Lindsey Garvin is a great book. Not only are the illustrations adorable and the concepts easy to grasp, but it gives children ownership of what they put in their mouth. They make healthy choices because they understand and know the “why” of their choices. Knowledge empowers!

Check Out These Related Posts:

Pin For Later

In everything you do -eat, play, and, love- may it always be Seasoned with Joy!