How To Make Flavored Vinegars

From salad dressings to cooking vegetables to marinating meats, flavored vinegar can be used for so many things in the kitchen. Generally speaking, vinegar is easy to make and they tend to have a long shelf-life.

Step By Step

1. Choose your vinegar type

   1. Choose a neutral vinegar or vinegar that has a complementary flavor to the aromatics you are using.

2. Pick your vinegar

   1. Distilled white vinegar

   2. Unseasoned rice vinegar

   3. Apple cider vinegar

   4. Red or white wine vinegar

   5. Champagne vinegar

   6. Balsamic vinegar

   7. White balsamic vinegar

   8. Sherry vinegar

3. Pick your fresh herbs

   1. Basil

   2. Rosemary

   3. Thyme

   4. Tarragon

   5. Lavender

   6. Sage

   7. Dill Mint

4. Pick your fruit

   1. Stone fruit wedges (peaches, plums, apricots)

   2. Pineapple slices

   3. Citrus slices (grapefruit, orange, blood orange, lime, lemon)

   4. Berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)

5. Pick your aromatics

   1. Garlic

   2. Shallots

   3. Scallions

   4. Leeks

   5. Dried chilies

   6. Citrus rind

   7. Ginger

   8. Coriander

   9. Fennel seed

Once you've sorted everything out, add your flavor components to clean containers. Then, use a funnel to pour the vinegar into the containers. Make sure it covers the herbs, fruits, vegetables, and spices. Allow this to sit for at least 24 hours.

After 24 hours, cover the container with cheesecloth, and strain the vinegar through the cloth into another empty container. This ensures that no food particles are left in the final product.

Refrigerate and enjoy!