Herbal Vinegar Recipes?

[Doodle Do]

Was doing some research about making herbal vinegars. So many different recipes. One says heat vineagar, another said not to. One said dont leave your herbs in it for over a month, others say who cares!
Has anyone made this? I was wanting to make this for Christmas gifts with my fresh herbs from the garden.
TIA

 

[Reinbeau]

You should strain out the herbs you use to flavor the vinegar in a month. Then, when you bottle it, you can put a fresh sprig in for decorative purposes. And I have never heard of heating the water, my mother has been making herbal vinegars for years and never does that.

 

[Doodle Do]

Thanks Ann. Does she have a vinegar of choice in making these?

 

[Reinbeau]

I don't think so, just white vinegar, I remember seeing Heinz bottles, so I'm pretty sure that's what she used.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I just watched a show on this and it said to heat the vinegar but not beyond a temp of 180 F because if it is too warm then you can get wood or bark flavors. Then after a month strain the old herbs out and replace with fresh herbs.

 

[wifezilla]

I have tried heating or not heating. It depends on what you use. Most stuff is fine without it, but when I make refrigerator pickles, it tastes better if you warm the vinegar first...not sure why

 

[farmerlor]

I think the heating is like a pasteurization sort of thing. They often worry about the bacteria that might be on the herbs that you put in the vinegar which is why they tell you should actually use herbal vinegars and not let them set forever because they will go bad. I figure anything put in vinegar is going to die so I don't heat it.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

You can make it with any kind of vinigar -- the best ones for flavour are good wine vinigars. I use these for dressing salads. I also love cider vinigar-- the one we give our chickens. I have been making them every year for the last 45 years & I don't heat my vinigar unless I am putting spices in them. I take the herbs out after a few weeks as they tend to go bitter over a long time but I do add a small young sprig of the herb when bottling up for gifts.

By the way you can also make fruit vinigars -- like raspberry & rhubarb -- delicious on salads & grilled veggies. Mmmm! I'm hungry now!!

They make lovely gifts for friends & family.

Happy Gardening & Preserving!

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[karanleaf]

You can make it with any kind of vinigar -- the best ones for flavour are good wine vinigars. I use these for dressing salads. I also love cider vinigar-- the one we give our chickens. I have been making them every year for the last 45 years & I don't heat my vinigar unless I am putting spices in them. I take the herbs out after a few weeks as they tend to go bitter over a long time but I do add a small young sprig of the herb when bottling up for gifts.

By the way you can also make fruit vinigars -- like raspberry & rhubarb -- delicious on salads & grilled veggies. Mmmm! I'm hungry now!!

They make lovely gifts for friends & family.

Happy Gardening & Preserving!

:rose Hattie :rose

My goodness Hattie how do you make Rhubarb vinegar ??
My Rhubarb is doing very well at the moment just have to make a pie for Noah this weekend, he has been waiting for it to get ready so we could gather enough for a pie

Do any of you make herbed oils??? I was thinking of doing some for gifts for our family this year.

Thanks

:happy_flower Karan

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi karanleaf :happy_flower

EMPTY you PM box- I can't get through

re: rhubarb vinigar, when I make rhubarb fool I always have a lot of juice left over from straining the fruit & if I don't use it with my vodka I boil it down with some fresh ginger so it is more concentrated & sweeter then mix with really good red wine vinigar. It is really good, especially in cold fish salads, sprinled with lots of dill -- OH I'm getting hungry again

And YES, I make lots of flavoured oils! I've been doing them as long as the vinigars. I've collected old recipes for years & when I had my restaurant I used to prepare them to use there --people loved them! They made lovely presents for good customers at Christmas I didn't sell them because of all the health & safety laws which were different from the restaurant ones, bottling & labelling etc.

Happy Preserving as well as Gardening!! :happy_flower

:rose Hattie :rose