By: Charlene Rennick
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Herbed Vinegar
Fresh, home-made herbed vinegars can be used as the base for marinades, salad dressings and pasta sauces.
Picking your own herbs or snipping from an indoor hydroponic garden or kitchen aerogarden adds extra love in the flavour. Always pick herbs before the light begins to warm up the plant. The natural oils from the plant will be at their highest concentrate.
The best herbed vinegars are made from wine, rice or apple cider vinegar. Start with a clean mason jar or other bottle with an air-tight cork or lock. Stuff the jar full of herbs and pour approximately 2 cups of the vinegar over top. Seal it and leave to age. Taste it after a season; it should be ready for cooking. The herbed vinegar will keep in the jar for several years.
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Herbs to use: Basil |
Spices to add: Anise Seeds |
Check your favourite salad dressings, marinades and sauces for the ingredients and combine your custom herbed vinegars accordingly.
Spiced Oils
Making herbed or spiced oil is the same process as creating a culinary vinegar except that the finished product is stored differently. To begin, choose a clean, sterilized jar with an air-tight lid. Make sure it is big enough to stuff with herbs and add about 2 cups of oil over the top. The best results are reached by using a cold-pressed, virgin olive oil, sunflower oil or grape seed oil. Let the mixture sit for a season and then strain the herbs out of the oil. Re-bottle the strained oil, seal with an air-tight lid and store in a cool place to preserve it.