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Herb Vinegars
Herbal Recipe
Herb vinegars are easy and fun to make, a good project for kids, and make great and unique homemade gifts, too. Bottled in those pretty bottles you've been saving and tied with raffia ribbons, they can be made up very pretty as well as personalized. It's never too early to start planning! You'll even have some wonderful vinegar left over for yourself.
What you need:
purchased vinegars: red-wine, white-wine, sherry, cider
herbs: choose among basil, garlic, tarragon, dill, chives, fennel, salad burnet, borage, mint, sage, lavender, nasturtium flowers and leaves, thyme, rosemary, parsley, chervil, marjoram, chile peppers
sterilized wide-mouthed jars (quart, half-gallon, gallon), with lids
glass or plastic measuring cups
plastic or stainless steel funnels
coffee filters
cheesecloth
plastic and wooden spoons
labels
pretty bottles with caps or corks
How to do it:
You'll need 1 cup fresh herbs for each quart of vinegar. Bruise the herbs, put them into a sterilized jar, and add vinegar. Label the jar with the kind of vinegar, the herbs you've used, and the date, Place on a sunny windowsill, where the heat of the sun will help extract the oils from the herbs.
Turn frequently, and test for flavor in two weeks. When the flavor suits you, strain the herbs, then filter the vinegar through a coffee filter into a pretty bottle. Add a sprig or two of fresh herbs, cap or cork, and label. For gift-giving, add a raffia tie and a gift card made with pressed herbs.
Some zesty combinations:
- Red-wine vinegar with basil, garlic, and savory; rosemary, sage, bay, and garlic; cilantro, rosemary, bay, and chile peppers; thyme, rosemary, oregano, and basil
- White-wine vinegar with dill, lemon basil, lemon balm; orange mint, orange zest, cardamom seeds, and garlic; chives, chive blossoms, elder flowers, lemon balm.
- Sherry vinegar with allspice berries, cloves, cinnamon, rosemary; basil, tarragon, and garlic. Cider vinegar with horseradish, garlic, and chile peppers; garlic, dill, pickling spices.
