Dress Spring Salads with Vinegars Prepared at Home

The fresh flavors of herbal vinegars add new tastes to salads, fruits, vegetables and entrées.  Flavored vinegars make a healthy substitute for salt and rich sauces.  Use clean and high-quality ingredients (vinegar and herbs, vegetables or fruits) to prevent mold and yeast spoilage. If flavored vinegar starts to mold at any time, or show signs of fermentation such as bubbling, cloudiness or sliminess, discard the product and do not use.

Jars and bottles. Only glass containers are recommended for your flavored vinegars. Do not use leaded crystal, or old or imported glass bottles that may contain lead.  Vinegar and other acidic ingredients will leach lead from the glassware into your flavored vinegar.  Commercial glass containers that previously held food or condiments are lead-free.

Wash containers thoroughly in warm, soapy water and rinse well. (Use a good bottle brush  for  narrow containers.) Sterilize by completely immersing them in water and boiling for 10 minutes.  To prevent breakage, use a rack in the bottom of a deep saucepot or water bath canner.

Lids and caps. If using screw caps, wash in hot soapy water, rinse and scald in boiling water.
If using corks, select new, pre-sterilized corks. Use tongs to dip corks in and out of boiling water 3-4 times. Prepare two-piece metal home canning jar lids according to manufacturer’s directions for canning. If using these lids, allow enough headspace between the lid and the vinegar so that there is no contact between them.

Herbs.  Use 3 to 4 sprigs per pint (2 cups) of vinegar. Pick fresh herbs soon after the morning dew has dried. Pick herbs before blossoming occurs. Use only very fresh leaves or stems, discarding discolored, nibbled, crushed or dried out pieces.

Wash the fresh herbs gently, and blot dry on clean paper towels. Follow by dipping herbs in a sanitizing bleach solution of 1 teaspoon of household chlorine beach in 6 cups of water. Rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry with clean paper towels.

Fruits. Carefully  wash all fruits  with clean  water and peel if necessary. Leave small fruit and berries whole.  Slice or dice peaches or pears.  Use 1 to 2 cups of fruit per pint of vinegar, or the peel of one orange or lemon per pint of vinegar. Chunks of firm fruit may be threaded on clean, thin bamboo skewers for easy insertion and removal.

Vinegar. Distilled white vinegar is the best  choice for delicately flavored herbs. Apple cider vinegar has a milder taste and amber color that works well with fruit. Wine and champagne, although expensive, works well with  delicate herbs and lighter-flavored fruits. Red wine vinegar works well with strong herbs like rosemary, but masks the flavor of most herbs.

Caution:  Wine and rice vinegars contain some protein that provides an excellent medium for bacterial growth, if not handled and stored properly. For added safety, use only commercially produced vinegars.

Flavoring the vinegar
Step 1.  Place the prepared herbs, fruits and/or spices in the sterilized jars. Avoid over packing the jars; use 3 to 4 sprigs of fresh herbs, 3 tablespoons of dried herbs, 1 to 2 cups of fruit or vegetables, or the peel of one lemon or orange per pint of vinegar to be flavored. If using basil, 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped leaves may also be used.

“Lightly bruise” mint leaves or the sprigs of fresh herbs to release the flavors and shorten the flavoring process. Berries may also be “lightly bruised” as they are put in your container. When using orange or lemon peel, thinly cut off only the colored portion, avoiding the thick white underside.

Heat the vinegar to just below the boiling point, or at least 190-195° F. Pour over the flavoring ingredients in jars, leaving 1/4- inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lids, corks or screw caps tightly. Let sit to cool undisturbed.  Store in a cool, dark place. Let sit undisturbed for 3 to 4 weeks to develop flavors.

It takes at least 10 days for most flavors to develop and about 3 to 4 weeks for the greatest flavor to be extracted. However, desired flavors are a matter of personal taste. Crushing, “bruising”, or chopping fruits, herbs and vegetables before adding them to jars can shorten the flavoring process by about a week or so.

To test for flavor development, place a few drops of the vinegar on plain white bread and taste. If the flavor has developed to a pleasing point for you, strain the vinegar and continue as above. If flavors seem too strong after the standing time and straining, dilute the flavored vinegar with more of the base vinegar that was used in preparing the recipe.

Step 2. Strain the vinegar through a damp cheesecloth or coffee filter one or more times until the vinegar shows no cloudiness. (Skewers of fruit may be removed first.) Discard the fruit and/or herbs. Prepare jars and lids as before for final bottling steps.

Pour the strained vinegar into clean sterilized jars and cap tightly. A few clean berries or a washed and sanitized sprig of fresh herb may be added to the jars before closing, if desired.

Storing the vinegar
Store the flavored vinegars up to 3 months in a cool, dark place.  Date the bottles or jars when they are opened. Always keep vinegar bottles tightly sealed.

If stored in the refrigerator, flavored vinegars will keep for 6 to 8 months.

After 6 months, check vinegar to see if flavor is still good. Discard any flavored vinegar that has mold, or  signs of fermentation such as bubbling, cloudiness, or sliminess.

Herbed and fruited vinegars used as decorated displays in sunny windows or shelves should not be used in food preparation, if stored in this manner for more than a few weeks.

Source: So Easy to Preserve. Fourth Edition. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service.1999.
Kendall, P. and J. Rausch. Flavored vinegars and oils. 1996. Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension, Fort Collins, CO. Food and Nutrition Series Fact sheet No. 9.34. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/Pubs/foodnut/09340.html
Bale, Sharon, and Mary Witt. Culinary Herbs. HO-74.  University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.  2005. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho74/ho74.pdf

Other May 2006 Articles:
Vinegars at a Glance
Regulations Eased at Some Markets for Jam and Jellies Sold
Go Native with Mulberries for Pies, wine and Jelly
Making Specialty Vinegar