Homemade Vinegars Recipes

POMEGRANATE FIG WHITE BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Bring the white balsamic vinegar to 190ºF (just under the boiling point) in a medium saucepan.
• Cut open the pomegranate and remove the seeds. (Click here to learn how to remove pomegranate seeds.) Crush the seeds gently with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Place the pomegranate seeds (and any juice) and figs in a sanitized non-reactive 1-quart jar or container. Pour the warm vinegar over the top and let the mixture come to room temperature before covering with a lid. Store in a cool dark place for 2 weeks.
• After 2 weeks, strain the vinegar through a fine strainer or a piece of cheesecloth. Transfer the strained vinegar to sanitized decorative bottles. If desired, add a few fresh pomegranate seeds and figs.
• Tie a label on the bottle and give away to friends and family, or keep for yourself.
• Enjoy this vinegar on salads or in a marinade or sauce for chicken or duck.

FLAVORED VINEGAR

Steps:

• Put raspberries into a sealable bottle, size may vary as recipe is flexible, but 1/2 liter is best. Add lemon peels. Use a funnel to add sugar and vinegar. Cork or close bottle. Shake. Let sit one week.

HOMEMADE RED WINE VINEGAR

Steps:

• Pour the wine into a clean, wide-mouthed half-gallon glass jar. Put the lid on and shake it well to aerate the wine. Remove lid, and add drinking water until the jar is about three-quarters full, along with the live raw vinegar or mother. Cover the jar with cheesecloth and keep the cloth in place with a rubber band.
• Leave the jar undisturbed in a dark place at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks, checking regularly to see that a vinegar mother (a translucent, gelatinous disk) is growing on the surface, and no mold is forming. (If you see green, black or white mold, scrape it off; if it grows back, throw out the mixture and start over.) You should begin to smell vinegar after a few weeks, and can taste it every week or so to monitor the fermentation.
• After about 2 months, when the alcohol has acidified, or when a taste of the vinegar makes your mouth pucker, it's ready to strain and bottle. (You can save the mother to begin a new batch.) The vinegar can be used as is, or aged in the bottle for up to a year to mellow its flavor.

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY VINEGAR

Steps:

• Slice tops of strawberries off. Place strawberries in a colander and wash off any debris. Pat dry and slice.
• Pour vinegar into a sealable jar. Add strawberries to the vinegar. Allow the fruit to infuse at room temperature for 2 days.
• Transfer mixture to a sealable bottle. Strain strawberries from the vinegar if desired.

HERB VINEGAR

Steps:

• If desired, cut garlic in half and skewer with a toothpick. Place in a glass jar or bottle. Add oregano; set aside. In a small saucepan, bring vinegar to a simmer (do not boil). Carefully pour into containers. Let cool to room temperature. , Remove garlic after 24 hours. Cover and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year.

HERBAL VINEGARS

Steps:

• In a glass or stainless steel sauce pan heat white wine vinegar on the stove to where it is warm, but not boiling.
• Bruise herbs. Loosely fill clean glass jars with herbs and other ingredients, depending on which vinegar you are making.
• Pour the warmed vinegar to fill each glass jar and cap with an acid-proof lid. Store in a cool, dark place and shake daily for 2 weeks.
• Store vinegar as it is or strain through cheesecloth and rebottle. Add a few fresh sprigs of the herbs you have used to the bottle for identification purposes and visual appeal.