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Sunday, April 26, 2009

How To Make Flavored Vinegars


Flavored vinegars are so good and make a wonderful gift when they are put into a pretty or odd shaped bottle.  Attach a home made gift tag with jute or  an earthy fiber, maybe a recipe and voila!  Another handmade gift, so very simple and so heartfelt.  I had to share this with you when I found this article on Wiki How.  If you come up with other combinations, let me know and we will share it with everyone.


Do you ever stroll down the specialty foods aisle and eye the pretty bottles of vinegar filled with sprigs of herbs but you never buy them because they are so expensive? Well your instincts are good. They are too expensive. However, you can create the same thing personalized for your particular tastes for a fraction of the cost. Here's how.

Steps


  1. Open your food processor and fill the cup 3/4 the way full with your choice of fresh herbs.
  2. Pour in about a cup of vinegar.
  3. Close the food processor and turn it on high for about 30 seconds. Add more herbs and another 2 cups of vinegar. Pulse for another minute or two.
  4. Line a sieve or tea strainer with a coffee filter and slowly pour the herb and vinegar mixture through the coffee filter and into a bowl. Carefully press the herbs against the filter to press all of the vinegar out of the herbs.
  5. Re-line the sieve with another coffee filter and pour the vinegar in the bowl through once more to catch any loose herbs.
  6. Store in a clean jar with a tight fitting lid.
  7. Add whole herbs and spices of your choice. The longer your vinegar sits the stronger it gets.
  8. If you begin to run low on vinegar, add a little wine and let it sit for a week uncovered.


Tips


  • Some Herb Combinations to Try
  • basil, oregano, onion, garlic
  • sage, dill, coriander
  • sun dried tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic
  • lemon rind, dill, fennel
  • rosemary, thyme, garlic
  • pine nut, basil, onion, garlic
  • garlic, onion, hot peppers


Warnings


  • Use good vinegar - The better the vinegar the better the finished product.
  • Experiment - there are all sorts of vinegars - rice, cider, red and white wines, and even champagne vinegars.
  • Use fresh herbs when possible because they will produce the strongest, best taste.
  • If you have never use an herb before and have allergies, consult your physician to make sure that you can use it without a reaction.


Related wikiHows





Article provided by wikiHow 
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6 comments:

nath said...

very complete step and information..make it easy to follow
Your button already in my blog, If you don't mind to put my blog into your bloggin' buddies list... :)thanks a lot

Loree said...

How interesting. There are so many ways to be creative. I never thought of flavoured vinegars before. They would make interesting Christmas presents. that's for sure.

Anjanette Young said...

I've never notices vinegar like that, but the oils always look so rustic to me. Thanks for posting.

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

I know that we were raised with vinegar to pickle with, but that is a great ideal to flavor it.

Kathryn Magendie said...

I love flavored olive oils and vinegars!

pehpot said...

hmm very informative.. here in my place we like vinegar with chili, lots of them.. my dished are all Filipino food :) really yummy but does not look good LOL I will post a pic during the party :)

This is also my first time to bid on ebay, not sure how evrythig goes but I was outbid yesterday and have to increase my bid.. :(

Thanks for the offer, that was very nice of you :)