Finding gifts for the special people in your life can be challenging. Your boss is turning forty, your mother-in-law is hosting a large dinner party or your new neighbors have just moved in next door. Whatever the reason or season, you can give a handmade gift of beauty and substance.
This idea brings recycling to a new place of distinction and creativity. The following simple instructions and recipes can turn something ordinary into something memorable.
Basic Rules for Making Herbed Vinegar
- Sterilize bottles by pouring boiling water into them; let sit for 15 minutes and dry thoroughly with a blow dryer. This eliminates spots in bottles and keeps the vinegar from appearing cloudy.
- Wash and gently pat-dry fresh herbs.
- Put herbs, spices or fruits in bottle (one handful fresh herbs, unchopped, and 2 tblsp spices).
- Pour vinegar over contents till bottle is full.
- Put cork or non-metallic lid on bottle.Check after 2 weeks. If desired flavor and aroma have been reached, strain to remove old herbs through a cheesecloth and funnel.
- Place new herbs (several sprigs will do) into bottle for decoration.
- Seal and label bottle with contents and date.Store in dark, cool place. Best flavor is usually reached at 2-4 weeks.
Vinegars to Stock in Your Pantry
- red wine
- white wine
- rice wine
- champagne
- cider
- balsamic
Fresh or Frozen Fruits to Pair with Vinegar
- pears
- raspberries
- figs
- Key limes
- lemons
- mangos
- blackberries
- lemons
- cranberries
Simple Raspberry Vinegar Recipe
- 16 ounces white wine vinegar
- 1 cup fresh (or frozen) raspberries
Rinse and dry berries, pour into bottle. Add vinegar. Leave there for 2 weeks, till ripened.
Use in Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette (for both green and fruit salads)
- 1/2 cup of your raspberry vinegar
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 teasp sugar
- 1 tblsp fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Once opened, vinegar stays at its most flavorful for 2-3 months. Unopened, it can keep indefinitely.
Herb-Infused Vinegar
Try any of these combinations in the vinegar of your choice. Experimentation is what this is all about. If no particular vinegar is recommended, try pairing herbs with two different vinegars to see which one you like. Here are a few tried and true variations:
- cinnamon, clove and nutmeg
- cinnamon, basil and nutmeg
- dill (w/white vinegar)
- basil and whole cloves
- lemon basil and peppercorns (w/white vinegar)
- garlic, sage and basil (w/red cider vinegar)
- cinnamon, basil and whole cloves
- mango and chili (w/red cider)
- sage and whole cloves
- lavender blossoms (w/cider vinegar)
- basil, thyme, oregano
- sage, thyme, basil, and a sprig of rosemary
How to Use Vinegars
Use the fruit-infused vinegars on fruit salads and green salads, in marinades and desserts. The herb-infused vinegars can be used in dressings with olive oil, in marinades, sauces, in slow cookers over meat, as glazes in pans.
Decorate the Cork
Sterilize any used corks or buy them in bulk at the local craft store. Decorate them with rhinestone jewelry, broken pins, earrings, brooches from the local thrift store, or find colorful sea glass and shells to hot glue onto the corks.
Decorate the Bottle
Recycled wine bottles are perfect for this project but one-of-a-kind bottles can also be purchased. At one store you can usually find a set of three bottles for under $10 that come with their own corks.
Another decorative accent for the herbed vinegar bottles is easy to find. Napkin rings are sold in carved wood, metal spirals, mother of pearl, woven grass and antique scrolls to name a few. One or two napkin rings can be placed around the neck of the bottle for an accent or as an additional go-along-with gift. Label and date each bottle's contents with stamps or free-hand writing on a sticky label or handmade tag.
Making homemade gifts is a process with several steps. Enjoy the journey, make some to give and some to keep for those spur-of-the-moment parties that can pop up anytime.
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