Holiday Gifts : A Gift of Vinegar

I’m admiring a windowsill lined with bottles of homemade herbal vinegars--fine holiday gifts that cost about $3.50 each to make, including the fancy, rubber-stoppered glass flasks.

Among cooking friends, it’s an enjoyable tradition to make and give homemade gifts, but most of our weekend schedules are full by Thanksgiving. I no longer have time to spend Saturday afternoons making candied orange peel for homemade fruitcakes or packaging jars of homemade salsa. So I was thankful to learn about no-work herbal vinegars.

Flavored vinegars perk up salad dressings and marinades. They keep five to six months on the shelf (no refrigeration needed). Basil- or garlic-flavored vinegar is delicious sprinkled on steamed vegetables. Add a splash of dill vinegar to bean or lentil soup to highlight the sweet flavors. Stronger thyme or rosemary vinegars are best for marinades.

These vinegars are simple to make. Fill empty wine bottles or apple cider jugs with distilled white vinegar. Add a few handfuls of fresh or dried herbs and leave the bottle on a sunny windowsill or in a sun-lit herb garden for two weeks to steep.

Suggested herbs include garlic, chives, tarragon, basil, thyme, shallots, rosemary, sage or dill. Purple basil tinges the vinegar a garnet color that makes for a lovely gift. Once steeped, the vinegar can be strained and a sprig of fresh herb added for decoration.

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Any bottle with non-metallic lids can be used for homemade vinegars. Sterilize the bottles in the dishwasher or in boiling water before filling.

If you’re collecting your own herbs, clip unblemished sprigs and remove any dried leaves or broken stems. Wash lightly under running water, then twist the herb sprigs or bruise them in a mortar and pestle to release their natural oils. Push the herbs into the jars and cover with vinegar. (For even quicker results, gently heat the vinegar before pouring over the herbs.)

RED BASIL AND GARLIC VINEGAR

1 cup packed red (opal) basil leaves, including blossoms, plus 2 sprigs

5 medium cloves garlic

2 cups white vinegar

Place basil leaves and blossoms in clean 1-quart glass jar and crush with wooden spoon. Skewer garlic cloves on wood picks or bamboo skewers, cut to fit glass jar, and add to jar. Heat vinegar until warm, then pour over herbs. Set jar on sunny windowsill or in warm garden 2 weeks, or until vinegar is deeply colored from basil.

Strain through sieve and pour into 2 sterilized (1/2-pint) glass jars. Add additional basil sprigs, if desired. Seal and label jars. Makes 2 cups.

HOT AND SPICY CHILE VINEGAR

1 cup dried red chiles (1 to 2 inches long), plus 3 extra

4 medium cloves garlic, peeled

5 large sprigs fresh rosemary

3 cups white vinegar

Place chiles, garlic and rosemary in clean 2-quart glass jar and crush with wooden spoon. Heat vinegar until warm, then pour over herbs. Set jar on sunny windowsill or in warm garden 2 weeks, or until vinegar reaches desired strength.

Strain through sieve and pour into 3 sterilized (1/2-pint) glass jars. Add 1 additional chile per jar, if desired. Seal and label jars. Makes 3 cups.

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This delicious recipe was adapted from one made by Florence Barclay that appeared in Gourmet magazine.

SWEET ORANGE AND FENNEL VINEGAR

2 small shallots

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

Zest 1 large orange

1/4 cup rosemary sprigs

1/4 cup thyme sprigs

1 large clove garlic

2 cups balsamic or white vinegar

Place shallots, fennel seeds, orange zest, rosemary, thyme and garlic in clean 1-quart glass jar and crush with wooden spoon. Heat vinegar until warm, then pour over herbs. Set jar on sunny windowsill or in warm garden 2 weeks, or until vinegar reaches desired strength.

Strain through sieve and pour into 2 sterilized (1/2-pint) glass jars. Add additional orange zest, if desired. Seal and label jars. Makes 2 cups.