Make your herb flower vinegar now, or forever hold your peace. (Well, at least until next spring.) Don’t waste the herb trimmings you’ve pruned from now-flowering plantings. My vinegar is fortified with thyme flowers, Tuscan rosemary flowers, chive blossom heads, and a single strawberry blossom. Another lovely possibility is chive blossoms and a long, fat twist of lemon peel.
Pack the flowers loosely in a jar, then fill with a decent quality vinegar. I prefer wine vinegar over plain distilled vinegar, since the latter is so sharp-tasting, but you could use either. Top with a non-metal cap and let sit for a month or so before using or gifting.
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Beautiful!
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Fabulous idea! (and great photo) Have you tried making your own vinegar, too? Mine has been a mixed success. The color wouldn’t be quite as attractive, but the flavor is generally pretty mild, and I love the idea of full-on DIY vinegar.
http://dorisandjillycook.com
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Dorisgoat: Thanks! No, I haven’t tried doing my own vinegar. It would be fun if I had time, but it’s one of those projects that seems to be expensive and labor-intensive. But if you’re having fun, I say go for it! :) Although, beware — don’t use homemade vinegar for pickling, since it probably won’t be acidic enough.
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You inspired me to make my own: http://baltimoregon.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/herb-flower-vinegar/
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Eugenia, the homemade vinegar process can be cheap and easy. I started by inoculating some good leftover red wine with the mother from some raw cider vinegar, put it in a mason jar, covered it with cloth, and stuck it in a closet. Two months later, voila, wonderful vinegar. Way better than store-bought. I keep at this approach and have good success. The odd batch takes forever to turn. If I get frustrated I just dump it!
Thanks for the tip on the herb flower vinegar!
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