I make vinegar from many different fruits such as pineapple, raisins, blackberries, pears, peaches, and of course, apples. These I use for anything from salad dressing to adding to my homemade breads to help make them fluffier, naturally preserve them longer, and to make them just a bit more healthy.
Floral and herb vinegar I also make frequently, and these I use mostly for my own natural hair wash/rinse. It is predominately what I use to wash my hair with though I do use my own herbal shampoo once a week and then follow it up with my vinegar rinse.
Though you can watch the video I have at the top of this post, I am going to take you through the very easy step by step guide here on how to make your own.
I usually like to make my floral vinegar using fresh flowers but you can also do this with dried. Here I am using roses, pansies, and lavender flowers. Notice how I chose only the purple and red pansies, this is only for the sake of making a prettier vinegar, but any colors are fine. Though you can use whatever flowers you want and whatever blend you want, I chose these three because not only do they make a very beautiful vinegar, all three have wonderful benefits to the skin and hair. Other good choices to add would be sage and rosemary as these are great for stimulating hair growth but would also taste great in a salad dressing.
Once you choose your flowers and/or herbs, fill a half gallon mason jar half to three quarters full of them. If using dried herbs and flowers, fill the jar one quarter to one third of the way full.
You will then add up to 1/3 cup of sugar of your choice. Though I have never used honey to make vinegar as I prefer to save my more expensive honey for other things, it should work just fine. Here I am using organic evaporated cane sugar.
This next step is really unnecessary in my opinion but in my video and for this batch as well, I added about a quarter cup of my own pineapple vinegar with the mother mixed in well. Many people do this when making vinegar but until trying it with these most current batches, it was something I never did but have still had great results. So to me, this is more of an experiment than anything to see what difference it makes, if any. If I think of it, I will give an update once they are done and share my thoughts.
Next, you will need to top the jar off with a good water, I use filtered rain water. If you must use city water, you will need to make sure to dechlorinate it first by putting it in a jug or jar and covering with a cloth for three days so the chlorine will evaporate out. I then like to use a chop stick to mix in the sugar but I do not worry if it does not all immediately dissolve, it will in time.
You will then want to weigh down or cover your herbs and/or fruits with something to help keep them submerged under the water to prevent mold. When I have grape leaves available, this is what I like to use. The other option is the narrow pint size jar set slightly at an angle on top but making sure there is still air flow for gasses to escape.
To prevent bugs and dust from getting into your vinegar, it is best to cover with a piece of cloth or rag and wrap a rubber band around it. It must be something that will allow air flow so do not use plastic to cover the jar with!
Set your jar in a warm place for thirty days. I like to use the top of my refrigerator for this. Check it after thirty days and you should see a layer at the bottom of light colored substance, this is the mother. Taste the vinegar to see if it is sour. If it seems very bubbly, you will need to allow it to sit another week or so. Usually thirty days is just about right but occasionally, it will take longer. Once it is done, strain out the herbs or fruit and put into another mason jar or even bottle up as shown here. Your vinegar should last 6 months to a year.
Hope you found this post helpful, thank you so much for taking your time! ~Heidi
Contact
Email: raincountryhomestead@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RainCountryHomestead/
Hand Crafted Goods: https://www.facebook.com/heidiscrochetedart/
