I threw a bunch of fresh raspberries into a quart jar and doused them with white wine vinegar. With the best intentions of tending to them, I promptly left them all by their lonesome for 8 good months!
And for all you fellow lazy asses out there who have similar habits, I am here to say this is one time where laziness is a virtue!
It is rife with raspberry flavor, and because I used a fragrant natural cane sugar and cooked it down, it’s an intense caramelized raspberry flavor. I can imagine it will be perfect drizzled over bitter salad greens & shaved parmigiano, butter lettuce with soft goat cheese & walnuts, grilled romaine with a crumble of blue, or splashed over a shredded cabbage & carrot slaw.
I am in love with this vinegar and you can bet that I will be throwing a bunch more berries in vinegar filled jars this summer.
Raspberry Vinegar
approximately 2 cups in-season, organic raspberries
white wine vinegar to fill a quart
3/4 cup natural cane sugar*
quart mason jar
butter muslin or fine cheesecloth
Day 1
- Do not rinse raspberries. Get them in the quart jar as quick as you can. Then give them a gentle mash or two with a spoon to release some of the juices.
- Fill jar to the top with white wine vinegar. Cap and leave at room temperature. Make sure to use a plastic cap. If using metal, place a layer of plastic wrap down first and then cap. This will aid in possible corrosion caused by the vinegar.
Sometime Far into the Future
- Place a piece of wet fine cheesecloth in a strainer and place strainer over a bowl. Let the berries strain completely – at least 2 hours. Do not press the fruit. My raspberries were very broken down. The first round of straining left me with a cloudy liquid, so I did another round with a fresh bit of muslin.
- Place drained liquid and sugar in a sauce pan. Heat on low and stir until sugar has melted. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes uncovered, skimming any foam that arises.
- Let cool completely and decant into a sterilized bottle.
You can store fruit vinegars at room temperature in your larder or cabinet. Use within 12 months for best quality.