back in july i threw a bunch of just-picked raspberries into a quart jar and doused them with white wine vinegar. with the best intentions of tending to them in the next week or so, i promptly left them all by their lonesome for 8 good months!
I was a bit wary of the stuff when i finally got around to looking at it last week, but was encouraged by some of you to go ahead with my plan. i am very glad i did. and for all of you fellow lazy asses out there who have similar habits – and therefore similar scenarios of last summer’s fruits laying-in-waiting in jars – 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 that (having only made it just yesterday) i can imagine 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, and getting around to the draining and cooking down, oh, whenever i damn well feel like it!
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 and 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, or 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, and 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 the boil. simmer for 10 minutes uncovered, skim any foam that arises.
- let cool completely and decant into a sterilized bottle.
fruit vinegars can be stored at room temperature in your larder or cabinet and should be used in 12 months for best quality.