Herbal Vinegars

Herbal Vinegars

Herbal vinegars are easy to make and are perfect for hostess gifts during the holiday season.

Through out the growing season, I'm saving unused wine in old glass jugs. One for white, one for reds. Just before frost, I make a trip to my favorite craft store and purchase decorative bottles of different shapes and sizes. Once home I run them through the dishwasher, then using thongs, dip each bottle into boiling water. I sit them on the kitchen table on a clean towel to cool.

You never have to worry about the safety of these gifts as the acidity of the vinegar will kill anything unhealthy.

Cut bundles of herbs, wash, dry and poke them into the bottle using a chop stick. You can use one type or a mix of herbs. You can even include the flowers. A dill white wine vinegar would look very pretty with the flower included inside the bottle.

A rule of thumb...Strong herbs will stand up to red wines. Sage, oregano, thyme, etc... Light herbs such as dill, basil, tarragon and chives are better off in white wine.

If you'd like to make garlic vinegar, steep the garlic in the vinegar mixture for 24 hours, then remove clove. The vinegar becomes too strong if steeped for longer.

I usually include about an inch of white vinegar in the bottom of the decorative bottle before I pour in the wine vinegar...that way I am sure the contents are acidic enough to inhibit anything bad from developing inside the bottle.

Fill the bottle with your leftover wine, leaving at least an inch of the bottle's neck empty. Cork bottle firmly. Store in a dark place for at least three weeks. Shake bottles every once in a while.

Tips: To make your gifts a bit fancy, melt wax in an old coffee can using a water bath. Color wax with a crayon. Dip the cork and the tip of the bottle in the wax. Set aside to cool. Tie colorful ribbon or raffia around the neck with a label.

Use your imagination and have fun. This is a great project for the entire family.

Cheers, Mark