How to Make Herbal Vinegar

Herbal vinegar can be used in salads, salad dressings, marinades, pickling or as a condiment. The process is extremely simple and requires little money and materials. To make an herbal vinegar all you need is vinegar (white, red, or apple), bottles and your herbs.

You can use dried or fresh herbs. To make an herbal vinegar using fresh herbs use the formula of 1 cup loosely packed herbs to 2 cups of vinegar. When using dried herbs use 1/2 cup of herbs to 2 cups of vinegar.

Any size bottle can be used but make sure the lid is not metallic. You can save the bottles your pickles, olives and oils come in (any jar with a tight lid will do) and reuse them to make the herbal vinegars. You can use hot water and soap to get the labels off and replace them with your own. Sterilize the bottles in hot water before making the herbal vinegar. Glass bottles need to be used and not plastic ones (unless they are sterilized but I have always used glass).

Once you put the herbs in the jar fill it up with vinegar. Now all you have to do is leave it on the widow sill (sunlight speeds up the process) or anywhere in the kitchen. Shake it every couple of days then after about a week in a half taste it to see it is alright or if something needs to be changed.

If the herbal vinegar is not strong enough, strain the vinegar and throw away the herbs. Use the vinegar again to cover another batch of fresh herbs. Wait another week and half and then taste. If your vinegar taste too strong you can take up to 1/4 of it out and replace with water. Vinegar only needs to sit for about two weeks until its ready to use.

Here is a list of herbs you can grow to make your own herbal vinegars:

Basil (Sweet or Opal)
Sage
Rosemary
Thyme (English, French or Lemon)
Dill
Chervil
Parsley
Garlic
Oregano
Tarragon
Lavender
Lemon Balm

You can use these alone or in different combinations of each other. Garlic, basil and oregano make a great Italian herbal vinegar. Thyme and Dill vinegar taste great with fish. Garlic and Rosemary can be used as a marinade for chicken. Sage and Oregano herbal vinegar goes well with pork chops or pork roast. The combinations are endless and don't limit my list to the herbs you use.

Not only are herbal vinegars great for food but they make nice gifts as well. They are extra special when you've made them from your own herbs. You can decorate the bottles with custom labels, stickers, ribbon or any small scrapbook embellishment. Another good idea is to put a helpful recipe on the back with your vinegar as one of the ingredients.