Lemon Shrub with Cardamom and Mint

This Lemon Shrub with Cardamom and Mint packs a cool refreshing punch of flavor on hot spring or summer days in any cocktail or mocktail!

Lemon Shrub with Cardamom and Mint

This shrub is extremely refreshing. Cardamom has slight lemon and mint flavor notes that when combined with the fresh mint leaves, creates an intense cooling sensation. It’s great for any lemonade type drinks.

Use this shrub in drinks, salad dressings, or even drizzle some over ice cream.

Because cardamom is often one of the botanicals used in gin, this shrub is also excellent when used in gin drinks. You can specifically use it in these drinks:

Mint Gin Fizz, Lemon Gin Fizz with Cardamom and Dill, Sparkling Basil Lemon Mocktail, Lemon-Dill Cucumber Mocktail (recipes coming soon).

DIY Gin Bar Recipes

This Lemon Shrub with Cardamom and Mint will be featured in the DIY Gin Bar along with four others.

Here are all the recipes that are part of the DIY Gin Bar!

Infused Sugars

• Vanilla Bean Sugar
• Orange Sugar with Szechuan Peppers
• Lemon Zest Sugar with Cardamom
• DIY Citrus Sugar with Lemon and Dill
• Lemon and Lavender Infused Sugar

Shrubs

• Strawberry Shrub with Basil and Peppercorn
• Blackberry Shrub with Vanilla and Earl Grey
• Lemon Shrub with Cardamom and Mint
• Orange Shrub with Cardamom and Thyme
• Orange Shrub Recipe with Yunnan Tea and Szechuan Peppers

Cocktails

• Strawberry Gin Fizz
• Blackberry Gin Fizz
• Mint Gin Fizz
• Lemon Gin Fizz with Cucumber and Dill
• Orange Gin Fizz
• Gin Lemonade Cocktail

Mocktails

• Orange-Basil Strawberry Mocktail
• Vanilla Earl Grey Blackberry Mocktail
• Sparkling Basil Lemon Mocktail
• Lemon-Dill Cucumber Mocktail
• Rosemary & Mint Lemonade Mocktail

Lemon Shrub with Cardamom and Mint

This Lemon Shrub with Cardamom and Mint packs a cool
refreshing punch of flavor on hot spring or summer days in any cocktail or
mocktail!

Servings 3 cups

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 23 minutes mins

Steeping Time 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 25 cardamom pods
• 3/4 cup mint leaves separated out into three 1/4 cup portions
• 5 Meyer lemons* zested
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup rice vinegar

Instructions

• Crush the cardamom pods with the flat edge of a knife. Pry them open and drop the seeds in a mortar. Put the papery skins in a food processor. Use a pestle to crush the seeds, releasing their fragrance and breaking them down a little.
• Pour the seeds in the food processor along with the shells and pulse a couple of times.
• Add the mint leaves and pulse until the leaves have broken up and look bruised.
• Zest the lemons and add the zest to a food processor along with the sugar. Pulse until the zest, cardamom, mint, and sugar are well incorporated and the sugar is fragrant.
• Add the sugar mixture and the water together in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• While the sugar and water are cooking, slice the lemons up. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, add the sliced lemons and the other 1/4 mint leaves (whole mint leaves). Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the lemons have lost their brightness and the liquid is a light yellow color (like lemonade).
• Add the vinegar and bring the mixture back to a simmer (about 5 to 8 minutes).
• Turn off the heat and add the last 1/4 cup mint leaves. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Strain the lemons, spices, and leaves out using a fine-meshed sieve covered with one layer of cheesecloth.

Notes

• Meyer lemons are the best to use and they require the least amount of work: the pith and skin are soft and not very bitter so you can simply add the lemon zest to the sugar and cut the lemons up. For all other citrus fruit (regular lemons, oranges, grapefruit, etc.) the pith is very bitter. For those, the best procedure is zesting and then using a paring knife to cut away any pith to prevent bitterness.

Author: Megan Wells

Course: Beverages

Keyword: beverages, quick and easy, shrubs