Last year I had a short-lived obsession with pickling after an irresistible deal at Soulard Farmer's Market saddled me with way too many cucumbers. A quick venture into the world of pickling yielded several cans of gray pickles that I didn't have the heart (or guts) to pawn off on anybody. BUT, when I was searching for pickle recipes in my copy of Country Wisdom and Know-How -- what every self-respecting Midwesterner household should own* -- I came across very enticing recipes for flavored vinegars. It was located in the section on Preserving, Pickling, Canning, Distilling - I kid you not. The text stated raspberry vinegar was considered one of the best and with raspberries just wrapping up their season, I decided to go for it. We used the batch of 'homemade' raspberry vinegar until the last drop fell about midway through the year. You bet your sweet bippy I whipped up another batch this year.
[Raspberry vinegar in the making]
- Assemble the ingredients:
2 to 2 1/2 cups fresh red raspberries, lightly mashed
2 Tablespoons sugar or honey
2 cups red wine vinegar - Combine all the ingredients in a (non aluminum) double boiler over boiling water. Turn down the heat and cook over barely simmer water for 10 minutes, uncovered.
- Put all the contents in a canning jar and store for 3 weeks.
- Strain out the solids, pressing on the raspberries to get out all the juice.
- Optional: Strain through a coffee filter to make the vinegar less cloudy.
- Place the vinegar in a bottle for use.
Drumroll, please: A delicious vinegar that makes a mean vinaigrette. Sure, you can buy raspberry vinaigrette at the store, but it won't be as tasty or as country-wisdomy as this stuff.
*Dripping with sarcasm for all those out there thinking we (Midwesterners) are all a bunch of bumpkins. As for the book, a very cool compendium of projects and recipes.
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Uhm, where's my jar of this deliciousness?
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