Herb Vinegar

I fell in love with herbs many years ago – growing them, smelling them, and finding delicious ways to use them.

 

My herb garden contains garlic and regular chives, oregano, tarragon, lovage, winter savory, lemon balm, several varieties of thyme, rosemary, parsley, and sage. All are perennial herbs, coming back year after year with the exception of parsley which is biennial and reseeds itself.  The tender annual herbs, basil and cilantro I grow from seed each year in my vegetable garden.  The herbs thrive in the protected southern exposure of my house and I always have an abundance to harvest for dried herb mixes and my favorite – herb vinegar.

 

On a warm September or early October day, I pick mass quantities of all of my herbs, give them a thorough rinsing, then lay them out to dry on the counter.  While they are drying I assemble quart jars (sterilized in the dishwasher) and my vinegars: apple cider, rice wine, red wine, and white wine varieties.  I don’t use any distilled white vinegar as it is too harsh.  I also don’t use balsamic vinegar since it tastes wonderful on its own. I generally buy bottled vinegar at the supermarket, soak the labels off, and reuse the pretty shaped jars for the finished product.  If I have several empty vinegar bottles I’ll buy a gallon of red wine vinegar to use (this is the variety I use the most).

   

When the jars and herbs are dry, I pack the quart jars with herbs, garlic cloves, lemon rind, etc., keeping a list of the ingredients that go into each jar. Next I microwave the vinegar in a large glass measuring cup and heat. I pour the hot vinegar over the herbs, cover the jar with plastic wrap, and put a canning lid over the top to secure the jar.  I always use non-reactive equipment because of the acidity of the vinegar – glass, plastic, wood, are all fine. I store the quart jars in my cool, dark, storage room for two to three weeks, giving the jars as shake every few days to mix them up.  When the vinegar tastes like the herbs, it’s time for the finishing touch.

      

I assemble my clean vinegar jars and use a plastic funnel lined with coffee filters to strain the vinegar. I put a few sprigs of fresh herbs in the finished bottle, attach a label, and seal with a cork. Voila! Beautiful jars of herb vinegar ready for gifts or my own cooking experiments. 

Here are my favorite herbal combinations :

Asian Vinegar: rice wine vinegar, Thai basil, garlic cloves, fresh ginger, hot peppers, cilantro

Italian Country Vinegar: red wine vinegar, rosemary, oregano, sage, basil, parsley, garlic cloves, black peppercorns

One of my favorites as you can see by the large bottle this vinegar gets!

 

Hot Pepper Vinegar: white wine vinegar, hot peppers (which can be taken out and used as well)

 

Herb Jalapeno Vinegar: red wine vinegar, hot peppers, marjoram, savory, garlic cloves, cilantro, rosemary, thyme

Lemon Garlic Herb Vinegar: white wine vinegar, lemon basil, lemon thyme, lemon balm, lemon rind, garlic cloves

Raspberry Vinegar: white wine vinegar, raspberries, 1 tablespoon honey

Provencal Vinegar: red wine vinegar, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil bay leaves, garlic cloves, orange peel, peppercorns

Although its a temptation to just let the pretty bottles sit on my counter, I use the vinegar in salad dressings, sauces, soups, stews – anything basically that needs a little boost of flavor.

My current favorite salad: chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, feta cheese, chopped basil, olive oil, Italian country vinegar, dash of salt, and sugar to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes. I made this last night with the new vinegar and it was a delicious side dish to the pulled pork sandwiches.