by Kayla Bishop, Food Co-op Member-Owner, Historian

These are recipes I learned while working as a costumed historian at a museum back East, and have adapted from the original historic recipes. For instance, the shrub recipe is based on Lydia Maria Child's raspberry shrub from the "American Frugal Housewife" first published in 1829. I learned how to make soft cheese as a dairymaid at the museum and tying the cheese by a string to one of the beams over the table.

Soft Cheese

(makes 1 about the size of a cauliflower)

Special Tools:

Cheesecloth (preferably fine mesh. You can double-up course cloth, but you need a lot)

Colander

Ingredients:

1 Gallon whole milk (you can use any milk, but more fat means more curds)

Salt

Chopped herbs (optional)

Approx. 1 cup apple cider vinegar

1. Heat the milk in a pot, stirring occasionally, until roughly 100 degrees or “blood warm”. You can test the milk on your wrist (like with a baby bottle), and if it feels neither hot nor cold, you are ready to go.

2. Take the milk off the heat and add salt to taste and chopped herbs, if using.

3. While constantly stirring the milk, slowly pour the cider vinegar into the milk in a steady stream. If you have heated the milk to the correct temperature, eventually the milk should “break” into solid curds and liquid whey.

4. Line your colander with cheesecloth and collect your curds, pouring off the whey. Since you curdled the milk with acid instead of an enzyme, this whey won’t be suitable for a whey cheese. However if you have chickens, they will enjoy the treat and the calcium will help their eggs!

5. Let your cheese drain for at least 2 hours. I like to do this by tying the ends of the cheesecloth to my kitchen faucet and letting it drip down the drain. If you prefer a drier cheese let it sit longer; if you prefer it wetter or can’t possibly wait to eat it, take it down sooner. This keeps in the refrigerator for about 1 week if covered.

This is a crumbly cheese, similar to a paneer or farmer’s cheese. You can play with it any way you like, drizzling it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a caprese salad flavor or maybe herbs de Provence and some fresh bread

Shrub

Special Tools:

Mesh Strainer (preferably food mill)

Straining cloths (lots. Preferably fine mesh to avoid pulp in final product)

Glass bottles, sanitized

Funnel

Ingredients:

Your favorite soft summer fruit or berries

Sugar

Apple cider vinegar

Flavorings to taste (herbs, spices, vanilla extract, etc)

1. Measure how much fruit you have in pounds. However many pounds of fruit you have, double that number and measure out that many cups of sugar (If bought in pints, 1 pint= approx. 1lb in cooking. For instance ½ pint berries would require 1c sugar). Place sugar in a VERY LARGE bowl.

2. Wash and cut fruit into small pieces, adding into bowl with sugar and stirring often to release juice from fruit and trying to break up large chunks.

3. Add additional flavorings. Remember to stir and continuously taste mixture.

4. Let fruit and sugar macerate for at least 2 hours, if not longer. Let it get really soupy.

5. Strain mixture into another bowl (major pain, but gets it smooth). I do this by putting some cloth in the bowl and then setting my mesh strainer inside and wringing the mess through, but I’m a brute. If you have a food mill or can engineer some way to get the goop out, by all means.

6. Measure your hard-won sugar/fruit juice and transfer to a cooking pot. However many cups of juice you have, double that number and add that many cups of cider vinegar.

Now the fun begins

7. Start boiling mixture. You may add additional herbs, spices, and flavorings, but remember to keep tasting throughout the process.

8. Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer. The goal is to get the mixture thick enough that when you dip in a cold spoon or spatula, the mixture coats the back and you should be able to run your finger through and leave a clear, clean trail. If the mixture is too thin and tastes too acidic, try adding in sugar one cupful at a time. Bring to a boil, reduce, and test again. Remember to taste often to make sure you are happy with the flavor.

9. Cackling, dancing around the kitchen, references to alchemy, and feeling like a witch are common side effects.

10. When the shrub has reached the right consistency, strain into bottles to catch any last bits of pulp, gel, or flavorings used and enjoy at a later date.

Technically shrub is meant to last without modern methods of preservation, but feel free to store in your refrigerator. Use as a mixer in your favorite cocktail or just as a cordial with water.

Shrub originally derives from Persian “sharbat” which was a dish of fruit syrup and shaved ice. The Genoese (who were in contact with Arab traders) got a hold of it and called it “sorbetto”, or when the fruit syrup was mixed with cold cream they called it “gelato”. You may recognize “helado” from Spanish. You can also make “sharbat” with other edibles, like rose petals. If you’ve ever gotten gulab jamun at an Indian restaurant (those rosewater donuts), they might be made with gulab sharbat aka. rosewater syrup.

In English and the English world, we now have sorbet, sherbet, and sherbert. Enjoy!