There's no need to buy vinegar from your grocery store when you can make it fresh at home. To do this, you'll need to convert a sugar into alcohol by oxidation. The alcohol can then be converted into vinegar. The easiest sugar to use for this process is fruit juice.
Here's how to make vinegar:
Supplies needed:
- A large glass container with a wide mouth
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A bottle of unfiltered vinegar. This will give you a source for bacteria to allow the fermentation process to take place
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Fruit juice. Make sure the fruit juice you select is free of preservatives. Apple juice works well.
Method:
- Pour about a quart of the unpasteurized, unfiltered vinegar into your clean glass container.
- Add a quart of your fresh fruit juice.
- Mix the two ingredients together and store at a temperature of around 80 degrees in a dark place.
- Fermentation of the sugar will take place during storage. This may take up to 6 months to be completed. It's important to taste test your vinegar periodically to see if it's reached a suitable strength for your own particular tastes.
- Once the appropriate vinegar strength is achieved, pour it into bottles until you're ready to use it. You can vary the flavor of your finished vinegar based on the fruit juice used. When you use fresh grape juice, you'll get a wine vinegar. Apple juice will give you a cider vinegar. Try several different fruit juice variations and see which one gives the best results for your purposes.
Now that you know the basic procedure for making vinegar, you can add spices, herbs, or fruits to create custom gourmet vinegars. A small quantity of these vinegars can add unique flavors to foods. They also make great gifts for holidays and hostesses.
Gourmet vinegars can be just the flavor touch you need to make your salads more appealing. Who doesn't need to eat more salad and fresh vegetables? You'll also find them useful for adding flavor to your home cooked gourmet dishes.
Discover the joys of making vinegar and you'll never want to buy the store bought version again.
