Vinegar is one of the handiest condiments around the kitchen and they have a way of lending a complex taste to everyday dishes. But you don’t have to just settle for plain old vinegar when you can spice it up with the help of herbs which are widely available. Herbal vinegar is just the thing to have in one of those cupboards.
Whether you are preparing a dip for one of your dishes, a salad dressing or you are making your special homemade sauce, herbal vinegar has the right undertone for a distinct and tangy taste that will tickle the taste buds. Aside from being great for your culinary experiments, they also make great gifts especially if you are known for making them really well. Due to the acidity of vinegar, the concoction can last for months but if you have a great blend, they wouldn't be left untouched for long.
What Kind of Herb Should You Use?
There are a lot of herbs out there! It’s totally up to you what kind of herbal infusion you have in mind. Thyme, rosemary, chives, sage and even flower blossoms can be wonderful for your vinegar infusion. You can also experiment with various combinations of herbs to see which one you love best.
What You Will Need
When preparing your vinegar infusion, you need a jar, vinegar and, of course, the herbs. Sterilize the jars and make sure that they have a tight lid. Freshly plucked herbs are perfect for these herbal vinegar infusions. Be sure to wash the herbs in cold water and rinse them thoroughly or else you’d see critters or dirt on your vinegar infusion.
How To Make Herb Infused Vinegar
First, you have to warm the white wine vinegar. Keep in mind that what you have to do is just warm the vinegar, do not boil it. The reason behind this is that you are trying to slowly infuse the vinegar with flavor from the blossoms. If you boil the vinegar, you will shock the herbs and destroy them. This is not a good thing as you won’t be able to have the flavor that you are opting for.
Next, you have to strain the herbs and place them inside the jar. Fill the jar with as many blossoms as it can manage then pour the warmed vinegar over the herbs. When you are pouring the vinegar in, the blossoms will float and when this happens push them down so that they are soaked in vinegar.
You have to wait for the vinegar to cool before you seal the lid. After sealing the jar, you have to let the mixture sit for about 2 weeks. After the lapse of that time, you should strain the vinegar and discard the blossoms. If you want to place some garnishing inside the bottle of vinegar, get fresh herbs, place them inside the jar, then pour the infused vinegar into the jar.
In general, you can use any kind of vinegar for your infusions but if you want flavor, high quality white wine vinegar is a good choice. There’s also apple cider and champagne vinegar.
