Shrubs and How To Use Them With Adam's Heirlooms and Sweet Willow Wellness

Last Wednesday, I ventured out of my home kitchen to join the folks from Adam’s Heirlooms– whom you all know I love– and Sweet Willow Wellness– who frankly deserves more of my patronage– for a two hour class on one of Adam’s Heirlooms’ flagship products, Shrubs. The word shrub may conjure up ideas of tiny bushes, but this is certainly not that kind of shrub. Drinking vinegars are making an active resurgence.

​You may have seen canned varieties of shrub out in the world recently such as those from Siren Shrub. I’ve tried many of these against the shrub concentrates from Adam’s Heirlooms, and I am happy to report that this is yet another area where the local version beat the mass produced. Not only are they made right here in Wisconsin, they are also made with almost entirely locally grown produce. The production process for the shrubs was highlighted during the class as our hosts walked us through sampling.

​From mocktails to sparkling waters, appetizers to desserts, Dianna and Rebecca showed us all some marvelous ways to use the shrub concentrates in our homes. There is so much more to it than adding a teaspoon or two to a glass of water and calling it a day, and all ten varieties that Dianna sells at the farmers’ markets on Saturday mornings were put to use in one way or another right before my eyes. 

​What I got was not what I expected when I signed up for the class, I’ll be honest. I love pretty much everything that comes from the folks at Adam’s Heirlooms, so I signed up out of loyalty more than anything. I like the shrubs, but I did not buy them very often prior to this class. The few times I had was usually to share them with visitors and have them experience some of the things I enjoyed in Green Bay as a treat to mix in some ice cold water after a long walk in Titletown.

I learned the most during Dianna’s cooking demonstrations. I had several mocktail samples to my left to sip on while I watched her employ the cranberry shrub as a flavoring agent for a chevre goat cheese. I had a row of smaller samples in front of me to savor between bites of an aged cheddar with a stoneground cheddar fortified by the apple cinnamon shrub. Shrub in marinades. Shrub in glazes. Shrub in desserts! It was a veritable feast, the likes of which I can only tell you was a delightful one. ​

Attending this class was also a great opportunity to reacquaint myself with Sweet Willow after my last visit was made during their reopening on the other side of the river in De Pere. Their kitchen remains active, and their offerings have expanded. It’s now on my list to visit Sweet Willow more often while I work toward a more sustainable kitchen to produce recipe content. The owner was on hand to assist during the Shrub class, and she hyped up the presenters wonderfully all the while. It was clear to me that a strong sense of community is being built in those walls.

There’s a rumor out there that Dianna will be doing more classes at Sweet Willow in the future, and I highly encourage you to consider them when they are announced. I will share them when a formal announcement is made.

I have a few class inspired recipes on the horizon that I am excited to share. In the meantime, look at all of these pictures! Consider visiting Sweet Willow in De Pere and the folks at Adam’s Heirlooms at the Saturday Farmers’ Market. You can have your own small tasting experience at the Farmers’ Market before choosing a shrub to take home for yourself. The folks at the market always have sampling options mixed into some cold water during the warmer months and warm during the cooler ones. ​