This Orange Shrub with Cardamom and Thyme has a bright orange flavor with a cool refreshing zing.

Orange Shrub with Cardamom and Thyme

The orange in this shrub is mixed with a little lemon-fresh flavor from the cardamom, which makes it a citrus lovers dream. I love adding orange zest and juice to apple pies so I decided to use apple cider vinegar for this shrub.

Use this shrub in drinks, salad dressings, or even drizzle some over ice cream (it makes vanilla ice cream taste like an orange creamsicle). You can specifically use it in this Gin Lemonade Cocktail or this Rosemary & Mint Lemonade Mocktail (recipes coming soon).

DIY Gin Bar Recipes

This Orange Shrub with Cardamom and Thyme 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

Print

Orange Shrub with Cardamom and Thyme

This Orange Shrub with Cardamom and Thyme has a bright orange flavor with a cool refreshing zing.

Course Beverages

Keyword beverages, quick and easy, shrubs

Prep Time 8 minutes

Cook Time 23 minutes

Servings 3 cups

Author Megan Wells

Ingredients

• 25 cardamom pods
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup orange pieces*
• 1 bundle of thyme
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Crush the cardamom pods with the flat edge of a knife. Pry them open and drop the seeds in a spice grinder along with the cardamom husks. Pulse until the seeds are a coarse powder and set aside.
2. Add the sugar and the water together in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Add the oranges, cardamom, and thyme and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the syrup has become the color of the fruit and the fruit has lost its vibrancy.
4. Add the vinegar and bring the mixture back to a simmer (about 5 to 8 minutes).
5. Strain using a fine-meshed sieve covered with one layer of cheesecloth.
6. Pour into a jar and keep it in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

• The pith from oranges can be very bitter. To prevent bitterness, use a paring knife to cut away all the pith. I like to cut the tops and bottoms off the oranges to create a flat surface on both ends and then use a small paring knife to remove the skin and any pith from the orange.