Cranberry Ginger Shrub

What is a shrub? It's like a simple syrup...only with vinegar. Does that sound weird? I've become a bit obsessed with tart and spice, so it didn't bother me at all. It may turn people off though- just say it's awesome. They will agree.

I'd been wanting to make a ginger shrub for a while, but since we're in the middle of The Great Cranberry Overbuying Experiment of 2011 (now extended into 2012), it seemed like a good idea to add some of that as well. Our freezer is full. God help us.

Cranberry-Ginger Shrub (recipe slightly adapted from Well-Fed Everyone)

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 giant piece of ginger, peeled and diced (exact amount up to you- I err on the side of way too much)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

For me the right amount of ginger is one that attacks your face with spice. So I can't say how much I added to the shrub, but it was a decent amount.

After peeling and dicing the ginger heat up the water and sugar in a nonreactive pot. Once the sugar dissolves, add the ginger and let it simmer for 10 or so minutes to really get the flavor in there.

While that's simmering, rinse and pick through your cranberries. Add them to the pot and simmer, stirring every once in a while.

Let it get nice and thick- at least 15 minutes, maybe longer. Then add the vinegar and let it simmer for another five minutes to let the flavors meld.

Take it off the heat and let it cool a bit, then put a strainer over a large bowl and pour the contents of your pot through it. Take a spoon and press down on the berries to get all the lovely juice out.

Let it cool on the counter, then pour it into a bottle and stash it in the fridge.

Once it's cool it's great added to seltzer, maybe a little rum if you're in the mood. It's also great added to a mug of warm water. Such a wonderfully versatile beverage, I'll definitely be making more.

The Bread Project: Vegan Pumpkin Quickbread with Cranberries and Walnuts

I have ten bags of cranberries in my fridge and freezer. No kidding. They were 49 cents a bag at the Target by me for some reason, so we stocked up. Some of them may be used for a beer D is in the planning stages of, but that still leaves at least five bags, probably more if they're still cheap next time I go. Clearly I have a problem. So expect a lot of cranberry-based posts while we work through it all.

We also had canned pumpkin which needed to be used, and the thought crossed my mind to make something vegan. So foodblogsearch.com searching commenced and turned up a recipe easily incorporating both.

Vegan Pumpkin Walnut Cranberry Bread and Muffins (slightly adapted from Joy the Baker)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• Scant 2 cups of pumpkin puree (canned or freshly roasted, if you're all fancy)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup roughly chopped cranberries

Preheat your oven to 350. The usual muffin method- whisk the dry in one bowl, whisk the wet in another. Add dry to the wet. Stir a little. Add the walnuts and cranberries. Stir a little more. Try not to overmix.

I was able to get a smaller loaf and 18 muffins, though you could probably to a regular loaf and 12 muffins. Baked them together- the muffins were done in about 25 minutes, the loaf in about an hour. I probably took them out on the early side just to keep the bread moist, as I'd read sans eggs it can get a bit crumbly.

As is- super delicious. Next time I'll add more walnuts and cranberries though. You can probably even forgo telling people it's vegan, unless like me you have a vegan coworker who usually cannot partake in foods people bring in to work.

*Note: apologies for the lack of pictures. My camera has gone missing, and my cell phone's is just awful. Hopefully will find it soon! Or Black Friday's coming up so maybe I'll just get a new one.