Herb vinegars

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Herb Vinegars Herbs and spices suspended in unusually shaped bottles of vinegar or oil are eye-catching as well as delicious, and an excellent way of preserving herb flavors. For the best flavor and to make it look attractive, use both herbs and spices whole. Mixed with an equal amount of olive or sunflower oil, they make excellent salad dressings. You can also add them to sauces and gravies and use them for pickling and making mustards. Two tablespoons added to a light stock for poaching fish or to the water used for boiling meat will lighten and improve the flavor. You can use almost any herb to make an herb vinegar, but the most popular are garlic, mint, tarragon, thyme, basil, fennel, dill, and rosemary. Spices most frequently used include whole dried chillies, bruised whole coriander seeds, and dill, fennel and caraway seeds. You

can also use pickling spice, which consists of mustard seeds and includes pepper, cloves, and chillies. Dried Herb Tip: Dried herbs, if completely clean, can be used to make vinegar.Use 1 cup dried herbs to 3 or 4 cups vinegar. Heat together just to the boilingpoint. Cool, strain, bottle and store in a cool, dark place. Fresh Herb Tip: As you use the vinegar and the level goes down and the herb sprigs are no longer covered with vinegar, be sure to remove them, otherwise,mold may form on the herbs, spices, or rinds when exposed to air in the jar. Note: You should never use metal lids when making herb vinegars. The vinegar will erode the metal. It is vest to use corks, or you can use plastic lids. Go to flea markets and yard sales. Sometimes you can find some very interesting bottles. Herb Vinegar Make this vinegar with one of the herbs listed above. 17.5 fluid ounces white wine vinegar4 large sprigs of your chosen herb, or 4 peeled garlic cloves Pour off a little vinegar from the bottle. Push in two herb sprigs. Fill bottle with the vinegar you poured off if necessary. Reseal the bottle. Leave in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks. Change the herb sprigs for fresh ones.The vinegar is now ready for

use. Variation: Lemon Vinegar - Use half a lemon, finely chopped, including rind and pith. Spice Vinegar Whole spices will keep this vinegar clear and attractive. One 17.5 ounce bottle white wine vinegar 6 dried chillies, or, 2 tablespoons bruised whole spice, such as

coriander This method is the same as for herb vinegar, but after steeping in a cool, dark, place, strain the vinegar and add no further spices. Variation: For a fast spice vinegar, put the spices and vinegar into a covered heat-proof bowl over a pan of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and take the bowl out of the pan. Leave it to cool for about 2 hours, before using the vinegar. Back To Top Mixed Herb Vinegar 2 Tbsp rosemary, dried 2 Tbsp thyme, dried 2 shallots, peeled and sliced 1 tsp parsley, dried3 whole peppercorns2 cups red wine vinegar Place rosemary, thyme, shallots, parsley and peppercorns in a clean quart jar. In an enamel saucepan, bring vinegar just to the boiling point. Pour over the herbs. Cap jar and let steep for two weeks or more at room temperature. Strain vinegar

and pour into a sterilized jar. Add a sprig of rosemary or thyme. Garlic Vinegar 6 cloves garlic 1 quart red wine vinegar or cider vinegar Peel, the crush the garlic cloves and put them in a quart jar or bottle. Heat the vinegar to the boiling point, then pour it into the jar. Cover and store in a cool, dark place, out of the sunlight, for

10 days to 2 weeks. Shake occasionally. Strain into bottles and stop with a cork. Mint Vinegar 1 quart white wine vinegar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 cups fresh mint leaves Pour vinegar into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and the mint leaves. Stir a little to bruise the mint leaves so it will release it oil. Cook at a low boil

for 5 minutes, then strain into bottles. When cool, put a few fresh mint sprigs in each bottle for decoration, cover and let stand for a week in a cool, dark place. Mixed Herb Vinegar 1 pint red wine vinegar 1 pint cider vinegar 2 peeled, halved garlic cloves 1 branch

tarragon 1 sprig thyme2 sprigs fresh oregano1 small stalk sweet basil6 black peppercorns Pour red wine and cider vinegar into a quart jar. Add garlic, herbs and peppercorns. Cover; let stand in a cool, dark place for three weeks. Shake occasionally. Pour into bottles and stop with a cork. Oriental Vinegar 2 cups rice wine vinegar 6 whole black peppercorns 1 chunk peeled, fresh ginger (about 1-1/2 X 3/4 X 3/8 inch) 1 thin (1-inch) strip lemon zest 1 (14 to 15-inch) stalk lemon grass Combine the vinegar, peppercorns, ginger and lemon zest in a clean and dry 16 ounce bottle. Trim the bottom of the lemon grass, remove the outer leaf, and cut in half crosswise. Add the lemon grass to the bottle. Seal with a cork and steep for one week. This vinegar should be ready to use after steeping, with a shelf life of at least one year. Rosemary Vinegar 1 cup loosely packed fresh rosemary 2 cups sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar Place the herbs in a clean, sterilized jar and use a spoon to bruise them slightly. Pour the vinegar over the herbs and cover the jar tightly. Put the jar in a dark place and let the herb vinegar mixture steep. Shake the jar every few days and taste the vinegar after one week. If the flavor is not strong enough, let it stand for another one to three weeks, check - ing the flavor weekly. If an even stronger flavor is desired,

repeat the steeping process with fresh herbs. When the flavor is right, strain the vinegar into a different sterilized bottle; cap tightly with a cork. Tarragon Vinegar About 2 cups fresh tarragon sprigs 1 quart white wine vinegar Fill a wide mouth quart jar 3/4 full of tarragon sprigs. Heat the white wine vinegar to the boiling point and pour

into the jar. Cover and keep in a cool, dark place for 10 days to 2 weeks. Stain into bottles in which you have put 1 to 2 fresh tarragon sprigs for decoration. Cork tightly. Red Basil Vinegar 2 cups fresh sweet basil leaves 1 quart red wine vinegar Strip basil leaves from stalks and pack into a wide mouth quart jar. Heat the vinegar to the boiling point, then pour it into the jar of herbs. Cover and

let stand in a cool, dark place for 10 days to 2 weeks. Strain into bottles. Drop one or two fresh basil stalks into each bottle (for decoration), then cork tightly. Dilled Garlic Vinegar 6 to 9 whole garlic cloves Springs of fresh dillweed 1 quart white or red-wine vinegar Cut garlic cloves in half lengthwise. Place 4 to 6 garlic halves and 1 or

2 sprigs dillweed in three 8-ounce bottles. Fill with vinegar, seal with corks. Label and steep for 4 weeks before using. Herb-Garden Vinegar 1 cup mixed fresh herbs, such as savory, chives, marjoram and parsley 2 cups white wine vinegar Bruise the herbs. Heat the vinegar to the boiling point and pour over the herbs. Steep for 2 weeks, shaking jar occasionally. Strain, bottle, cork and label. You can

add fresh herbs for decoration, if desired. Use on your favorite salads. Lemon Herb Vinegar 2 cups lemon thyme sprigs 1 cup lemon verbena sprigs 1 cup lemon balm leaves Lemon peel from a fresh lemon 4 cups white wine vinegar Place the rinsed and dried herbs and lemon peel in a sterilized five to six cup bottle. Heat vinegar to the boiling point and pour over the herbs and lemon peel.

Allow to cool. Cap with non-metallic lid. In a week or two, strain and rebottle into smaller containers. Label and store in a cool, dark place. Chive Blossom Vinegar 1 cup chive blossoms (Use the pink-lavender colored blossoms only) 2 cups white wine vinegar Put the chive blossoms in a sterilized jar. Heat the vinegar to boiling point and pour over the blossoms. Cap with non-metallic lid. After

a week or two, stain and rebottle. You may add fresh chive blossoms for decoration, if desired. Label and store in a cool, dark place. This vinegar will become a beautiful pale mauve color with a very oniony flavor. Suzi What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. health/ http://suziesgoats.wholefoodfarmacy.com/

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