Homemade Raspberry Vinegar
Raspberries are an antioxidant food, which means they help prevent damage to the body by protecting its cells and membranes. They contain several phytonutrients that do everything from preventing bacterial growth in the intestines to preventing cancer, in addition to giving raspberries their beautiful color. You can enjoy the health benefits of raspberries by eating them fresh or by preserving them in food products such as homemade raspberry vinegar.
Raspberries
When making raspberry vinegar, there are simple methods and those that are a bit more complicated, but for both options, you will obviously need raspberries. You can use fresh or frozen berries for raspberry vinegar, but if you get frozen, be sure they do not have added sugar, as it will alter the taste of the vinegar and detract from some of the many health benefits that raspberries offer. Rinse off your raspberries before using.
Easy Raspberry Vinegar
A simple recipe from the Old Farmer's Almanac directs that you pour 1 quart of distilled white vinegar into a glass jar or bowl, and then add 1/4 cup of crushed raspberries. Allow the berries and vinegar to steep overnight at room temperature. In the morning, pour the vinegar and berries through a sieve or a cheesecloth to strain the pulp and seeds out. The vinegar does best stored in a clean and sterile glass jar or bottle.
More Raspberry Vinegar
For a slightly more sophisticated vinegar, place 1 quart of raspberries in a saucepan with just enough water to cover them. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, bring to a boil and then immediately remove from the heat. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth into a glass container. Allow the raspberry juice to sit for 1 hour, then add the juice to 2 cups of apple cider vinegar. You can also use distilled white vinegar for this method if you wish.
Gift Ideas
While you will definitely want to keep some raspberry vinegar for yourself, it also makes a thoughtful homemade gift for someone else. Fill a painted or decorated jar with your raspberry vinegar, and add a gift tag to it, with directions on make the vinegar, recipe tips (for example, combine it with olive oil for a delicious salad dressing), or a short explanation of the health benefits of raspberry vinegar.
Tags: health benefits, distilled white, distilled white vinegar, Homemade Raspberry, Homemade Raspberry Vinegar, into glass, raspberry vinegar
