21 October 2008

Herb Flavored Vinegars

Although it is several months away, there is no time like the present to begin thinking about Christmas gifts for this year. The following recipe for Herb Infused Vinegar takes between 1-2 months to prepare. So, if you start within the next few weeks, you should have a great and elegant gift for your friends and relatives. This makes a great gift for any occasion, not just Christmas.

I happen to use this vinegar to flavor the chicken for my Chicken with Rice recipe. Just add the vinegar to the chicken and let it marinade in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, longer if you like a more intense rosemary flavor.

What you'll need:

  • 3 cups of a mild vinegar (I use regular White Wine Vinegar)

  • 1 cup, your choice, of crushed herbs (for this example I will be using Rosemary)

  • 1- Quart Mason Jar and Lid

  • fresh sprigs of the herb(s) you used

Let's get started:

  1. Take the rosemary and crush. Keep adding until you get a cup.

  2. Pour the crushed herbs into the Mason Jar

  3. Add the 3 cups of vinegar

  4. Cover and store in a cool, dark place for at least 1 month

After 1 month:

  1. Take a strainer and line it with a coffee filter

  2. strain the vinegar into another vessel

  3. place 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary into a bottle

  4. using a funnel, pour the vinegar into the bottle until full

  5. repeat with additional bottles.

This recipe makes approximately 2 bottles of vinegar. If you have a lot of friends and family, you can always increase the amount you are making. Just remember to keep to the 3:1 ratio; 3 cups of vinegar to 1 cup of crushed herbs. ( to double, it would be 6 cups of vinegar to 2 cups of crushed herbs).

For a good source of bottles, you can check-out some of the links below or you can head to your local crafts store. I get mine from Specialty Bottle. They have the best bottles for the least price ($1.15-$1.70 each w/cork and no minimum to buy). For a more elegant bottle, you can try the one from Amazon. If you have any questions, or if you need any help in preparing this, please leave a message in the comments and I will be glad to help.

Best...
specialtybottle.com

To compare...
ebottles.com

4 comments:

  1. Lovely idea, much better than worthless gifts that have no use. Not enough blogs like this around leading the way to more hands on way of life.

    I had a simlar one with tarragon but yours is presetned much better.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Martin Miller-Yianni: This is something we do every year. It makes a great gift and doesn't cost a lot. Thank you very much for the compliment :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great gift idea! Thanks for sharing!

    By the way, I've tagged you! Check out my blog for more info!

    ReplyDelete
  4. BeadedTail: I'm glad you liked it. Thank you very much, I'll be right over to visit :)

    ReplyDelete

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