Raspberry Vinegar and Vinaigrette Dressing

Use this raspberry vinegar recipe to create the included raspberry vinaigrette dressing, or just store it in beautiful containers to give away as gifts.

A few weeks ago I saw a tutorial in a project magazine for making your own raspberry vinegar.

I thought it would make a perfect holiday gift that I could get started early because it’s never too soon to begin preparing for the holidays.

Unfortunately, I can’t credit the original magazine because I was hastily trying to take a mental snapshot of the tutorial while Matt was trying to hurry me along past the magazine rack. Sure, I could have purchased the magazine, but that takes all the fun out of it, right? Thankfully my memory came through on (most of) the details, and my homemade raspberry vinegar turned out beautifully.

And thank goodness! I’ve had a lot of busted projects lately. But you can never succeed if you never try and risk failure. Am I right?

This recipe is simple, requiring only two ingredients. The resulting vinegar has a long shelf life, can be used as a tangy addition to recipes, and makes a unique gift. Moreover, you can get the antioxidant benefits of raspberries from this vinegar even when the fruit isn’t in season.

Homemade Raspberry Vinegar Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white wine vinegar (find organic white wine vinegar)
• 1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Method:

1. In a small, non-reactive saucepan, combine vinegar and raspberries. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
3. Transfer mixture into a clean quart jar. Cover the jar with a tightly-fitting plastic lid, or cover jar with plastic wrap first, then a metal lid.
4. Store jar in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks. Be sure to label your jar with a “ready” date.
5. Line a colander or mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and place over a glass bowl. Strain vinegar through the cheesecloth, allowing it to drip into your bowl. (This process may be slow if berries clog the cheesecloth.) Do not smash berries to release vinegar or your raspberry vinegar will be cloudy.  Compost or discard berries.
6. Transfer your raspberry vinegar to clean glass bottles with tight-fitting lids.

Additional notes:

Before starting this project, make sure you purchase white wine vinegar with at least 5% acidity. This is important so the finished product will keep. Your raspberry vinegar should keep for up to a year. Store your new ruby red vinegar in a cool, dark cupboard or pantry alongside your other bottles of vinegar.

Using your Raspberry Vinegar

We have been having fun with our raspberry vinegar by using it in unique and creative ways. We encourage you to try them too, along with any others you can think of.

Refreshing drink: Dilute a few tablespoons of raspberry vinegar in water and drink twice daily as a weight loss drink. Vinegar has been found to give a feeling of fullness, thus discouraging overeating. (Matt and I are not necessarily trying to lose any weight, but we enjoy making a refreshing drink with the vinegar. We mix 8 ounces of water, 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar, and 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup. We have found that drinking this between meals prevents over-snacking!)

Salad Dressing: We’re starting to get more fall greens in our CSA, and I thought a tangy raspberry vinaigrette would be a nice change from our typical oil/vinegar dressings. See the raspberry vinaigrette dressing recipe below!

Flavoring meals: Add the vinegar to your meals as a marinade, reduction, or glaze. See these suggestions for using raspberry vinegar in main or side dishes.

Dessert topping: Yes…vinegar on your dessert! If you like vinegar-y things, you must try this: splash a little of the raspberry vinegar over vanilla ice cream. I know it sounds strange, but it’s delightfully tangy and complementary to the vanilla!

Thoughtful gift: You’ll have to plan ahead a little (at least 2 weeks) if giving the vinegar as a gift. Make a few batches and give as a hostess gift during the holidays or give as a fall birthday gift. Put the vinegar in a glass container to show off the wonderful color and attach a label and a tag with the following Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing recipe. (Find clear glass cork top bottles here or glass bottles with swing tops here.)

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (find extra virgin organic olive oil here)
• ½ cup raspberry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons raw honey (find raw unfiltered honey here)
• ¾ teaspoon dried mustard (find bulk spices here)
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a glass bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to combine.

Serve over mixed greens with berries, nuts, crumbled cheese, and homemade croutons. This dressing will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Enjoy your homemade raspberry vinegar in this vinaigrette dressing, along with any other creative uses you can think of.

Comment below with other creative uses for this raspberry vinegar.

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