Herb-flavored vinegars are a delicious and creative way to add flavor to salad dressings, marinades, pickles, preserves and chutneys, and they make great gifts! Instead of paying $5 or $10 for a bottle of herb vinegar at a specialty foods store, you can make it inexpensively at home (and maybe find another use for those herbs you planted!). The flavor combinations are as endless as your imagination, here’s how to do it:
Lightly bruise (meaning to lightly crush) about 2 tablespoons of your favorite herb or herb combination to release their essential oils and thus, their flavor. To bruise leafy herbs such as basil, you can roll them up in your hands, squeezing them slightly. In the case of woody herbs such as rosemary, you can lay them on a cutting board and roll over them once or twice with a rolling pin. If you have one, a mortar and pestle are also ideal, especially for small-leafed herbs such as thyme and oregano. You want only the leaves of the herb, so for herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano, strip the leaved off the stems by running your thumb and two fingers down the stem in the opposite direction the leaves grow. If you are using fruit, fruit zest, or garlic, you do not need to crush the fruit although the garlic will release more flavor if you give it a good “whack†with the flat side of a knife (do not mince the garlic!). To crush the garlic, take as many cloves as you want to use, and lay them on a flat surface such as a cutting board. Hold a large kitchen knife or chef’s knife in one hand and lay the flat side of the knife blade on top of the garlic with the sharp side pointed away from you. Using the heel or fist of your opposite hand, carefully give the flat side of the blade a quick “whackâ€. Discard the peels and your garlic is ready to use, with all those lovely essential oils released and ready to add flavor to your vinegar.- Place your herbs, etc. in a sterilized, heatproof bottle or jar (such as a Mason jar) that will hold at least 16 oz. of liquid. Heat 1 ½ cups of vinegar until bubbles begin to form around the edges and pour it over the herbs.
- Seal the jar and store in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks, turning and gently shaking the bottle occasionally (once a day works well).
- Strain the vinegar through a paper coffee filter-lined funnel into a decorative bottle or jar. Seal the jar tightly, label, and store in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Note: I like to put a sprig or two of the same fresh herb into the decorative bottle before I pour the strained vinegar in. Depending on the flavor I am going for, sometimes I like to add cloves of garlic, small hot peppers, or peppercorns too, although these tend to float to the top so put them in before adding the herbs and before pouring in the strained vinegar.
Some possible combinations are:
- Basil, Thyme and Oregano (great for Italian dressings)
- Garlic Cloves and Chives (a wonderful garlic and onion flavor)
- Cilantro, Chives, a dried pepper, garlic (zesty and spicy
- Sage, Thyme and Basil (a classic combination)
- Red Raspberries or Cranberries (or Craisins), Orange Zest and Sage (great for marinades- I use red wine vinegar for this one)
Tags: homemade herb vinegars