Make Your Very Own Fruit Vinegars With Ease

Making your own fruit vinegars is so easy and so much cheaper than buying them from the store.

Raspberry Vinegar

2-2 ½ cups fresh raspberries, lightly mashed (frozen raspberries can be used but if they are pre-sweetened, do not add sugar, honey)

2 tablespoons sugar or honey

2 cups red wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients in the top of a non-aluminium double boiler.  Place over boiling water, turn down the heat, and cook over barely simmering water, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Place in a large screw top or bail-top jar and store for three weeks, out of direct sunlight.  Strain through cheesecloth to separate the berries from the vinegar and press on the berries to get out all the juice.  If your vinegar is cloudier than you wish, now run it through a coffee filter.  Pour into the bottle(s) you plan to use, adding a few fresh berries if you wish.  Makes about 2 cups.

Blueberry Vinegar

This variation is made in the exact same way as the above Raspberry variety but you can use white vinegar or rice vinegar for a more blue colour.

Ways we use fruit flavoured vinegar:

Coleslaw:  I do not like mayonnaise, so we make a sweet and sour version of coleslaw by tossing shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, and any other shredded veggie you like together with raspberry vinegar, a little sugar, and celery seed.

Salad Dressing:  Just toss any salad with the vinegar and a little olive oil for a fresh and fruity taste.

Vinegar Candy:

2 tablespoons butter (plus a little extra to grease the pan)

2 cups sugar

½ cup blueberry or raspberry vinegar

Grease a roasting pan or baking tray. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, and then add the sugar and vinegar.  Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then turn the heat up a bit and boil gently, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 150^oC. (the hot end of the “hard-crack” candy stage).  Pour onto the roasting pan or onto the baking tray.  Allow to cool completely and then break into pieces.  It will look like glass.

Note: To make vinegar taffy: cook only to 130^oC and then pull and cut.