Infused Vinegars

INFUSED VINEGAR

Olivia reminded me this weekend how very good infused vinegar is and what an excellent healthy salad dressing infused vinegar can be.  You can use regular stopper vinegar cruets or bottles like the ones pictured below (available at Walmart).  The ones I used are handy to store in the refrigerator door.  Infusing vinegar is easy if you remember a few basic things.  Make sure the bottles are very clean and you may want to even sterilize them in hot water.  White distilled vinegar and apple cider vinegar work best, but you can use rice vinegar and wine vinegar is you like.  Just remember the rice and wine vinegar contain more protein that will spoil sooner than the others.  

To make the infused vinegar shown, I made two with apple cider vinegar and one with pomegranate vinegar.  The first apple cider vinegar contains a sprig of tarragon.  The second apple cider vinegar contains chopped garlic (you may use cloves of garlic) and basil.  The pomegranate vinegar contains rosemary.  

To make infused vinegar, use the very freshest herbs and make sure they are clean and remove any damaged or brown leaves.  When you fill the bottles, try to cover the herbs with the vinegar.  The longer the vinegar stays in the refrigerator, the more intense the flavor becomes, so you may want to pull the herbs out of the bottle at some point.  Remove them if they start to look wilted or old.  The vinegar will last in the refrigerator quite a while.  Get creative and use them on salads, potatoes, cooked vegetables to brighten them, and even fresh fruit.  Experiment!

-Nanette