Herbal vinegar is vinegar infused with a combination of edible herbs, fruit, and spices.
The word vinegar comes from the French vin aigre, or “sour wine.” Vinegar can be made out of any fermentable carbohydrate, including fruit, honey, grains, beets, potatoes, molasses, or whey. The carbohydrate is first pressed into liquid, then fermented into an alcohol. At that point, the alcohol is fermented again into ascetic acid, either by allowing it to come into contact with wild yeast present in the environment or by inoculating it with a specific strain of yeast or “mother culture.” After the second fermentation, most commercial vinegars are pasteurized.
Here are a few super powers of herb-infused vinegars:
Herbal vinegars are loaded with flavor, and they add zing to salads, cooked vegetables, soups, stews, fish, meat, and more.
Herbal vinegars can provide a mega dose of nutrition to a diet because vinegar’s high acidity helps extract the constituents of plants, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Herbalist Linda Diane Feldt estimates that one tablespoon of herbal vinegar (made with calcium-rich plants) can deliver up to 300 milligrams of calcium, the same as a glass of milk.1 Some herbalists even recommend eating a tablespoon or two of herbal vinegar in lieu of taking over-the-counter supplements.2 Even better, when vinegar is eaten with food, it may make the vitamins and minerals in the food more bioavailable, meaning it can help your body absorb nutrients.3
Herbal vinegars make excellent all-purpose, DIY, non-toxic cleaning products that may have even more antimicrobial power than regular vinegar, not to mention a more pleasing scent.
Herbal vinegar rinses help maintain healthy skin and hair, and they can replace expensive, chemical-laden, commercial products.
Herbal vinegars make beautiful, unique gifts, especially when decanted into elegant bottles.
Learn how to infuse vinegars in the infographic below. Here are a few vinegar and herb combinations to get you started:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Nasturtium petals, a hot pepper, and peeled garlic cloves
Tarragon, chives, lemon balm, garlic, onion or shallots
1 teaspoon each of whole cloves, peppercorns, and peeled garlic cloves
Rice Vinegar
Calendula petals, lemon thyme, chive blossoms
Anise hyssop, fennel seed, and mint flowers
Garlic, ginger root, lemongrass
Champagne Vinegar
Rose petals and lemon balm leaves
Peaches and a cinnamon stick (broken to fit in a jar)
Lemon balm, lemon thyme, lemongrass, lemon verbena, lemon zest (any combination of these)
Red Wine Vinegar
Marjoram, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and peeled garlic cloves
Raspberries, lemon thyme, and thyme
1 teaspoon of each: whole cloves, allspice berries, black peppercorns, cardamom seeds, whole cracked nutmeg, and a small cinnamon stick.
White Wine Vinegar
Dill, peeled garlic cloves, mint
Lemons, limes, oranges, lemon balm, & orange mint (regular mint is fine too).
1 teaspoon of whole cloves, caraway seeds, and black peppercorns
Herbal vinegar makes beautiful gifts to package up for gift giving. Look for some pretty bottles at yard sales and flea markets to store them in once they’re finished brewing. Tie on a hand-written card with serving suggestions around the neck of the bottle.
Find some more recipes ideas here https://theherbalacademy.com/making-herbal-vinegars.
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