Homemade Fruit Vinegar

Bursting with flavours of summer and a bit of sweetness, this classroom-friendly recipe is a great way to preserve seasonal fruits to be enjoyed throughout the school year. Schools with salad bars will want to bookmark this one as a fun way to add local flavours to dressing options!

This vinegar that can be made with any fruit and herb combinations you like. Stone fruits and berries are best due to their high moisture content. Make this at back to school time with late-summer fruits (or make it anytime using frozen fruits).

Tip: this recipe is a great way to use ‘seconds’ (slightly damaged or nearly overripe fruit) that could benefit from processing ASAP. Ask local farmers about seconds, as you can often get these items at a reduced price. (Many farmers also have frozen fruits available at local markets across the country throughout the year).

RECIPE

500 g fruit of choice
500 ml apple cider vinegar
3-5 sprigs of fresh herbs of choice
200 g honey (or sugar, or mix of both)

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash fruit and remove any blemishes if using stone fruit (soft bits are OK!) Place into your clean 1-litre jar. If using stone fruit, slice roughly into 6-8 segments (no need to peel it).
Pack whole stems of fresh herbs down the side and fill to cover with the cider vinegar.
Cover with the lid and screw it on lightly so that some air can still escape. Set aside for at least 1 week (or 2 or 3) and let the vinegar work its magic.
After a week (or a few) pour the fruit/vinegar mixture through the cloth-lined sieve into the pot. Using clean hands, gently crush the fruit to extract as much of the remaining juices as possible. Alternatively you can transfer the fruit to a separate bowl and use a spoon or potato masher for this step. Drain the extra juices through the sieve.
You should be left with about 750 ml of liquid, depending on your fruit choice and its ripeness. Compost the fruit pulp.
Place the vinegar over a medium heat. Stir in the honey or sugar to dissolve.
Increase the heat to medium high and bring the liquid to a simmer, but not boil. Reduce heat and Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until reduced and thickened slightly.
Cool slightly before pouring into clean jars.

Tools/equipment needed:

One 1-Litre glass jar with lid
Large non-reactive bowl
Large sieve
Cheesecloth (or a clean cotton tea towel you don’t mind dedicating to vinegar-making)
Flat-backed wooden spoon or potato masher (optional)
1 medium-sized pot or sauce-pan
Stovetop or hot plate
Small bottles or jars for storage

Combination ideas: blueberry & thyme (pictured), raspberry & rosemary, blackberry & sage, apricot & lavender, peach & lemon balm, strawberry & mint….these are just a few ideas! Get creative and experiment with different fruit and herb combinations and encourage students to pick their favourite!

Use this sweetened* vinegar to make a simple salad dressing, starting with one-part oil and one-part fruit vinegar. Adjust to taste with more of the vinegar or oil and season with salt and pepper if desired. The vinegar can also be drizzled onto soups or stews to finish; and it makes a refreshing sparkling beverage when a spoonful or two is mixed with soda water.

*Note: steps 6-8 can be skipped if you prefer to make a straight-up vinegar, however, the added sweetness makes for a slightly more approachable vinegar that lends well to classroom taste-testing. It also takes some of the guesswork out of balancing flavours when making from-scratch vinaigrettes.

Storage

Pop-tops with a rubber seal (pictured) are ideal, but anything with a non-reactive top will do. Avoid using Mason jars for this as the vinegar will react with the metal lids over time. Store bottles/jars in a cool, dark place until ready for use.

Blueberry & thyme vinegar. Prepared after a day of blueberry picking, most of which were destined for the freezer. This vinegar was a great way to use the softer berries that were less desirable for eating fresh or freezing.

Recipe by: F2CC team member, Jesse Veenstra.

Jesse is in constant pursuit of quick and easy ways to preserve fruits and vegetables. This vinegar is a favourite because, while it requires some patience before it’s ready to use, the actual labour time is minimal and it doesn’t require a lot of equipment, fussy sterilization or long processing.