Anyone who likes to eat salad often likes variety – especially when it comes to dressing. Every gourmet appreciates fine vinegar in addition to first-class, cold-pressed oil. If only it weren’t for the price: such a noble droplet can cost quite a bit. Make fine fruit vinegar yourself: EAT SMARTER reveals how to make fine vinegar yourself.
Make fruit vinegar yourself? It’s very easy – even for little money, but with a lot of fun and a lot of enjoyment! It is also clear that you can also score points with such a noble “homemade” vinegar as a souvenir for dinner invitations.
All you need, apart from fresh berries, herbs and spices, are clean bottles (preferably boil them beforehand) and vinegar. It can be a rather simple one because the highlight is that you turn it into a noble product with the other ingredients. And you can start making your own vinegar!
Make your own orange vinegar
Great with lettuce, sauces, or Mediterranean dishes: Rinse 1 organic orange (200 g) with hot water, rub dry, and peel off the skin thinly with a vegetable peeler. Remove the white skin from the orange peel and cut it into very narrow strips.
Squeeze the orange and mix two tablespoons of juice with 100 ml of vinegar essence and water. Mix in 300 ml of dry white wine or light grape juice and pour everything into a large screw-top glass. Close tightly and leave for 6-7 days. Pour through a fine sieve into a clean bottle, seal and store in a cool place.
Make ginger vinegar yourself
Goes well with exotic salads and fruit salad or Asian sauces: Peel a piece of fresh ginger root (approx. five centimeters long) and cut it into very thin slices. Clean, halve, deseed and rinse 3-4 small red chilies. Place in a large clean bottle with the ginger.
Heat a liter of white wine vinegar to just before boiling point and pour into the. Close tightly and leave for 2-3 weeks, shaking frequently. Then pour through a fine sieve into another clean bottle, close, and store in a cool place.
Make your own raspberry vinegar
Delicious with green lettuce, but also refines sauces with roasted meat: Carefully select 250 grams of the smallest possible and absolutely fresh raspberries and place in a clean bottle. Rinse half a bunch of lemon balm, pat dries thoroughly, and cut into very fine strips.
Add to the berries, pour over 450 ml each of white balsamic vinegar and fruit vinegar. Seal the bottle, refrigerate and leave for at least a week.
Make Sherry Tarragon Vinegar yourself
A classic that is just as suitable for a hearty vinaigrette as for seasoning ragouts and meat sauces: Put 600 ml dry or semi-dry sherry with 100 ml vinegar essence in a clean bottle.
Wash a bunch of fresh tarragon, pat dries thoroughly, pluck off the leaves and add to the sherry vinegar mixture. Shake well, close tightly, and leave in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks. Then strain, refill and store in the dark.
Make your own basil garlic vinegar
Tastes wonderful with all salads, especially with tomatoes, of course, but also spices up pasta sauces: Peel two cloves of garlic and chop very finely. Rinse a bunch of basil, pat dries thoroughly, and also finely chop. Mix both in a bowl with 250 ml of white balsamic vinegar.
Boil another 250 ml of balsamic vinegar and add immediately. Mix well and cool. Then decant into a clean bottle (possibly using a funnel) and seal tightly. Leave for 2-3 weeks, then strain and pour into another bottle.
