Do you ever find yourself with fruit that is just past the peak of ripeness? It's still fine to eat, but it's not pretty to look at. Throwing it out would be wasteful and who has the time to turn it into a pastry? No problem. Turn it into a shrub.
A shrub is a mixture of fruit, sugar, and vinegar. It's incredibly versatile in that you can use it in salad dressings, as a marinade, or even in beverages. Now I know what you're thinking. Vinegar in dressing and marinade make sense, but in a beverage? Sure! Shrubs add a great tang to drinks. Use a little or a lot depending on the flavor profile you're going for.
Strawberry Shrub:
Take 1 pound of overripe strawberries. Remove the leaves and place in a large glass jar. Cover with 1 cup of sugar. Put a lid on the jar and let macerate for 2-3 days in the fridge. Add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and return to the fridge for another day of macerating. Enjoy. Remember, vinegar is a preservative, so you now have an extended clock on those berries. It can keep for years in the fridge in a tightly sealed jar. Feel free to add basil to the jar for an extra layer of flavor. Sweet basil, lemon basil, cinnamon basil, and Thai basil are all wonderful additions to this mixture.
Cherries, currants, and blackberries are other yummy options to macerate with balsamic vinegar. Replace the balsamic with apple cider vinegar and macerate with peaches or melon. So many options for keeping fruit on its "last legs" from going to waste.