from the garden f
Gifts
gardening
Story by Pat Rubin
Making herb-infused vinegars is surprisingly easy I started making herb-infused vinegars years ago, as a way to use all the Greek oregano I was growing. Turns out, it’s the easiest of projects to do. Plus, I find it rewarding to give something from my garden. Herb vinegars can be made two ways: You can use fresh herbs and room-temperature vinegar, or you can heat the vinegar first. Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar are best to use, but white wine vinegar works wel l, too. Save the apple cider vinegar for the strongest-tasting herbs, such as sage or rosemary. I have a large glass container I use for steeping the herbs in the vinegar. My go-to herbs are still the oreganos, but you can use any herbs you like. Some people even add a couple of slices of garlic or a bit of jalapeño pepper for a little kick. Collect the herbs in the morning. That’s when they are freshest. If possible, time the harvest to just before the herbs bloom, because that’s also the time when oils are strongest. If you want to use the heat method, add the herbs to a deep pot, cover with vinegar and bring to a low simmer. Let cool, then pour the mixture into the glass container and let sit for a few days. The room- temperature method, which I prefer, requires no heat, but a few weeks of sitting. At the end of the waiting period, strain the vinegar and bottle it for gifts. Most craft stores or websites stock plenty of decorative glass bottles to choose from. This project is easy on the budget. The most expensive items are likely the decorative bottles you’ll use for giving gifts of herb vinegar.
Pat Rubin cbmagazine@californiabountiful.com
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November/December 2020
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