How to Make Homemade Flavored Vinegars

If you've ever bought flavored vinegars, you know how expensive they are. If you've ever tasted flavored vinegars, you know how delicious they are. Once I tried flavored vinegars, I was hooked. I couldn't afford them at the store, and I wanted to experiment with different flavor variations. The obvious solution was to learn how to make flavored vinegars for myself.

The first step in making flavored vinegar doesn't even involve the ingredients. You need to closely inspect the jars that you will use to make the flavored vinegars. Make sure there are no cracks in the jar or the lid. Be certain that it is able to seal well. Cork tops are fine if they fit snugly. If you use a jar with a screw top, be sure that the inside of the lid has some sort of coating. A metal lid will become corroded by the acid in the vinegar.

You want to be sure that any herbs you add are also free from bacteria. Rinse the herbs well. Then douse them in a mixture of 6 cups of water that has had 1 teaspoon of bleach added. Do not use more bleach! This is all that is needed. After dipping in the water, rinse well and pat dry.

When selecting herbs to make flavored vinegars, use only the freshest herbs available. Do not use brown or wilted herbs. The standard flavored vinegar recipe uses about 5 sprigs of herbs for every 2 cups of vinegar. If you are a garlic lover like me, add a clove of garlic as well. (Actually, I add 2 cloves of garlic.) Of course, this depends on the other herbs that are being used. To intensify the flavor even more, cut up the herbs or pound them with the flat edge of a knife before adding them to the prepared jars.

The same rule applies when choosing a vinegar for your flavored vinegar recipes. Use the best quality vinegars you can afford. It really makes a difference with the final result. There are many types of vinegars that can be used for flavored vinegars. For herb vinegar recipes, the best choice is good old-fashioned distilled white vinegar.

The hardest part of making homemade flavored vinegars has already been explained. The most tedious part is gathering the materials needed and getting them prepared.

Next, place your choice of herbs in the sterilized jars. Don't stuff them. There should be room left in the jar. A good rule of thumb as mentioned above is about 5 or 6 sprigs of the desired herbs to a pint of vinegar. If no fresh herbs are available, 2 or 3 tablespoons of dried herbs can be used. If at all possible, use fresh herbs for your flavored vinegars. The taste difference is phenomenal.

Before adding the vinegar to the herbs in the prepared jars, heat it on the stove to the boiling point. Pour into the still warm jars with the added herbs. Secure the lids tightly.

Next, just sit and wait for the flavors to blend and marry together. Store the flavored vinegar in a cool place, away from sunlight. This takes about a month. About every 3-4 days, give the jars a gentle shake to help meld the flavors.

If you just can't wait and want to use your flavored vinegar as soon as possible, test the flavored vinegar after about 3 weeks. Taste a few drops on plain bread to get the full flavor. If it's not ready, be patient and wait a couple of more days. The flavor will be the best if you wait a full month for it to fully develop.

Hopefully, you have bought some pretty little jars or glass bottles for the final step. Using the same steps as before, sterilize these bottles on the stove as well.

Use two coffee filters to strain the now deliciously flavored vinegar. Pour the strained vinegar into the decorative sterilized bottles. Add a sprig of fresh herbs to each jar for presentation and added flavor. Make sure to disinfect the herbs first just like instructed before. Secure the lids tightly.

Flavored vinegar can be safely stored at room temperature for about 4-6 weeks. If you do keep your flavored vinegar at room temperature, keep it out of the sun. Sunlight will increase the chances of bacteria growth. If kept in a cool place, flavored vinegar will last about 3 months. If you keep your flavored vinegar in the refrigerator, it will be safe to use for at least 6 months.

Now, what do you do with flavored vinegar? Well, you eat like you're in a gourmet restaurant, that's what. Seriously, flavored vinegar turns any dish from average to awesome.