Recipes for Making Herbal Vinegars

Whichever steep method you use, the following recipes will provide aDelightful herbal vinegar for a variety of uses. We’ve selected baseVinegars which we have found work well with the herbs in each individualRecipe. But once again, let your palate be your guide. The recipes are all for two cups of vinegar, and may be increased for larger batches. All of the herbs must be fresh, not dried.
Bouquet Garni Herbal Vinegar–Use this vinegar to deglaze a pan after sautéing meats, in a saladDressing, or in a marinade for any type of meat.¼ C. Rosemary¼ C. Thyme¼ C. Parsley6-8 fresh Bay Leaves2 C. White Wine Vinegar
Fines Herb’s Herbal Vinegar–This light vinegar gets its flavor from the four fine herbs of classicFrench cooking. It gives a nice flavor to sautéed or steamed vegetables,And makes a nice salad dressing.¼ C. Parsley¼ C. French Tarragon¼ C. Chives¼ C. Chervil2 C. Champagne Vinegar
Lemon Herbal Vinegar–Use this tart vinegar to give a zip to vegetables, in a refreshing saladDressing, or in a chicken marinade.¼ C. Lemon Thyme¼ C. Lemon Grass¼ C. Lemon Balm¼ C. Lemon Verbena1 T. Lemon Peel2 C. White Wine Vinegar
Provençal Vinegar–The flavors of Herbes de Provence are excellent for marinating pork and lamb, and a light touch pairs well with seafood.¼ C. Thyme¼ C. Basil¼ C. Summer Savory¼ C. Sage2 T. Rosemary2 T. Lavender Blooms6 Fresh Bay Leaves
Salad Herbal Vinegar–Use this tart vinegar alone as a light, fat-free salad dressing, orCombine it with some olive oil,salt and pepper to make a mellowerDressing. It also make a great red meat marinade.¼ C. Thyme¼ C. Greek Oregano¼ C. Marjoram¼ C. Chive Blossom (or Chives if not in bloom)½ C. White Wine Vinegar½ C. Red Wine Vinegar
Use your imagination to create your own herbal vinegars. And don’t be afraid to add spices to the vinegars. We’ve added peppercorns, cardamom, whole allspice, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and crushed red pepper. You can use dill, caraway and celery seeds. And blooms make delightful vinegars and a beautiful presentation in the bottles. We’ve used sweet violet, lavender, nasturtium, society garlic, dill, chive, and Spanish tarragon blooms. Keep experimenting! Your personal creativity is where the fun begins in making herbal vinegars.
Additional combinations we’ve used:For Pork: Sage, Thyme, Bay Leaf, Pepper CornsFor Fish: Dill, Tarragon, Lemon Thyme, Parsley, Lemon PeelFor a beautiful rose colored vinegar: Opal Basil, Chive BloomsFor a spicy vinegar: Cilantro, Savory, Marjoram, Thyme, Crushed Red Pepper
Classic Tarragon Vinegar: French tarragon in champagne vinegar.
From Lingles Herbs