Raspberry Vinegar

I love raspberries and most other berries, maybe not so much with the blueberries, but blackberries are my very fave.  So yes, feel free to use your fave berry here; I just was not able to get blackberries when I made this.

I've told my blackberry tale previously; how my sister and I would go hunting for wild blackberries to sell to the local jam factory.  Still amazed that our parents let two little girls go into the bush on their own!  And fairly amazed that the local jam factory accepted any old buckets of berries that the local children had picked.  So if you have ever lived in Victoria and eaten Monbulk jam, just be aware that the berries were wild and free before being hunted down :=)

that's me in the middle!

My sister and I weren't much older than this when we went a-blackberry hunting!  Look at those splendid haircuts!  This was at the front of our grandparents' house up in the hills.  Yep, we were hillbillies :=)

Makes about 700mL/24 oz:

ingredients:

500mL/17 oz white wine vinegar

80g.-120g./3- 4 ounces caster sugar

375g./13 oz berries of your choice - I used raspberries  see Notes

Method:

Pour the vinegar into a medium saucepan, stir in the sugar and bring this just to a gentle boil, then immediately turn to a low heat

Let it simmer gently for a few minutes, cool for about 5 minutes, then pour it over the raspberries, which you have already placed in a large jar (which has a lid)

Give the mixture a good stir with a wooden spoon, seal the jar with the lid, and let it sit for up to 1 week (I let it sit and ruminate for 6 days)

Then grab yourself a colander that you have lined with muslin or a super-clean Chux; place the colander over a large bowl, tip in the berry mixture and allow the fruity liquid to drip thru for an hour or 2 - if you squeeze it out, the vinegar will become cloudy, but if that doesn't worry you, go ahead and squeeze, my dears!

Then pour into jars or bottles with lids, seal and store in the fridge for up to 6 months, tho to be honest I have kept it for longer!

Notes:

You can even use frozen berries in a pinch; just let them thaw out on a baking-paper-lined tray first

If you want to make a smaller amount, just use 350mL of vinegar, 250g. of fruit and 80g. caster sugar

And yes I did get a wee bit impatient towards the end of the dripping thru muslin, and gave the fruit a good squeeze

This is great in salad dressings, or even as a refreshing drink with sparkling water (tho if you use the lesser amount of sugar, it won't be as palatable)

(3) ingredients gathered

stir the sugar into the vinegar and bring to the boil - just!

pour the hot liquid over the berries

let it do its thing for up to a week!

and let it drip thru the muslin for an hour or so

You caught me out! I pushed it thru with a spoon at the end

you end up with several bottles of delicious raspberry vinegar

c. Sherry M.