In the fall of 2023 Hidden Penny Farm discovered vinegar making. While we were pressing apples for cider, Melissa thought, how can we make use of all these apple scraps? What followed was our adventure into fermenting apples into vinegar, resulting in a sweet, acidic, and probiotic rich apple cider vinegar that we love.

Our homemade vinegar is the base of our shrubs and oxymels. Shrubs and oxymels are traditional ways of preserving fruit juice. Fresh fruit is blended, the addition of vinegar preserves the juice, and the addition of sugar or honey sweetens it. Herbal and aromatic additions add complexity and flavor. The numerous health benefits of apple cider vinegar plus the incredible seasonal flavor blends make our shrubs the perfect base to mocktails, cocktail, salad dressings, marinades, and more!

The flavors we add and additions we make are developed through the inspiration of our daily life. Through spending our days tending our farm and exploring our surroundings, we develop delicious and medicinal ingredient combinations. A few that you may have tried are our nettle vinegar in spring, blackberry lavender in the summer, and blueberry basil in early autumn.

Members of the shrub club will experience the peak of our creativity, with new and exclusive shrub and vinegar flavors made just for them that reflect each specific month of the year.