Basil Vinegar / Aceto Basilico
In our basement, there was a collection of empty gallon-size wine bottles that my grandmother had saved. In the summer, the cumbersome bottles were brought upstairs, given a good scrubbing and scalding, and then stuffed with fresh herbs, such as basil and parsley.
A funnel was placed over the mouth of the bottle and wine vinegar was added, filling the bottles to the brim. Then they were left to steep for weeks so the herbs would flavor the vinegar. Almost any fresh herbs can be used this way. I like combining herbs too, for thyme-mint vinegar, or parsley-chive vinegar.
I use these vinegars on salads, in marinades, and to deglaze chicken dishes. You don’t need gallon wine bottles to do this. I save interesting bottles of different sizes, fill and label them, and often give them as Christmas presents with a favorite recipe for using the vinegar.
Ingredients
- 3 orsprigs basil per bottle
- 1 clove garlic, peeled, per bottle
- INGREDIENTS
Directions
- Apple cider or red wine vinegar
- Sterilized glass bottles and caps or corks
- Wash and dry the basil sprigs. Place 3 or 4 sprigs in each bottle. With a knife, make a small slit in the garlic cloves. Add 1 clove to each bottle and fill the bottles with vinegar. Cap or cork the bottles and place them outside in the sun or in a sunny place indoors to "ripen" for 4 or 5 days.
- Let the vinegar sit for at least 6 weeks before using; the vinegar will keep for up to 6 months.
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Comments
Kristin Ziniel
Made my own white wine vinegar since 3/17/19 using apple cider vinegar. Grow my own opal basil. Thanks for the recipe. Using 2 lg jars and more basil than your recipe abdicate garlic, can’t wait till done!