From the 2013 Farmer’s Almanac: You’ve seen herbal vinegars in upscale food boutiques and catalogues, usually stoppered or corked glass jars with sprigs of herbs floating in translucent liquid. Gorgeous. And pricey. Why not make your own? Herbal vinegars are inexpensive and easy to make, and you can make different vinegars for different purposes: culinary, medicinal, cosmetic, and even household cleaning. Fresh rather than dried plant materials make the best vinegars. Which herbs should you use? Singly or in combination, any herb, flower, or small fruit whose flavor you enjoy will make a tasty vinegar for culinary use. Vinegars made with culinary herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, dill, garlic, thyme, and sage add pizazz to salad dressings, soups, and sauces. Add a spritz to cooked vegetables instead of butter. Or use edible flowers such as nasturtium, violets, and calendula. Just about any edible berry will make a delicious vinegar. You can use fruit vinegars as you would use a vinegar made from leafy herbs. But the fruit vinegars really come into their own added to a fruit cup or pie filling to cut the sweetness and create a more complex flavor. Any herb or fruit vinegar used as a final rinse will add luster and manageability to any hair type. Hair-specific herbs include rosemary, chamomile, and sage. Similarly, a splash of herbal vinegar makes a time-honored, antiseptic skin toner. Some research shows that vinegar helps people feel full sooner, so they eat less. It may cut the risk of diabetes and lower cholesterol. Vinegar (herbal or straight) makes a good antiseptic or disinfectant that will kill nearly all bacteria and most molds and viruses. Vinegar extracts healing phytochemicals from wild, edible medicinal herbs such as dandelion and burdock roots, dandelion blossoms, elderberries and their blossoms, chickweed, stinging nettle, pine needles, and others. Whichever herb you choose, the procedure for making it is similar: • Remove large stems from leafy herbs, chop roots, and remove only petals from flowers you plan to use . • Pack a clean glass container (a canning jar, a discarded peanut-butter jar) loosely with the herbs you’ve chosen, picked over, rinsed, and blotted dry. Cover with apple cider vinegar warmed to room temperature. • Tamp the herbs down to release the air bubbles; then add more vinegar to completely submerge the plant material. Cap the container tightly, set in a dark, warm place, and let the herbs steep for a month to six weeks. Use a plastic cap or a piece of plastic film tied with a rubber band to prevent the acidic vinegar from corroding a metal top. • Strain out the herbs and repeat the process with fresh herbs if you want a stronger-flavored vinegar. Otherwise, decant the vinegar into a cork- or glass-stoppered container. If you plan to give your vinegar as a gift, add a sprig of fresh herb or a few blossoms for visual appeal. • Store your herbal vinegars in a dark, cool place.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 02:00:00 +0000
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