I have received requests from @riverflows and @mountainjewel for a recipe for making my homemade vinegars. So in order to honour their requests, here are the recipes! Enjoy!
Mango Vinegar
This is one of my favourites, perhaps because I love mangoes so much. This is such an easy recipe, I almost feel like I am cheating when I make it.
It takes about 15 minutes to make and gives you about 16 servings.
Here’s what you need:
• 1 ripe mango peeled and chopped
• 2 cups organic rice wine vinegar ( or your preference)
How to do it:
Place the chopped mangoes in a 2-quart clean glass jar. In a saucepan, heat the vinegar until simmering. Don’t boil.
Pour the hot vinegar over the mangoes in the jar. When the jar has cooled, cover the jar with 2 layers of plastic wrap and screw on a jar lid.
Put the jar in a cool, dark, dry place and let it sit for about 2 weeks. Gently shake the jar every few days to mix the mangoes and the vinegar.
You may begin tasting the vinegar after the 2 weeks. It can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to develop the flavour you like.
When it's reached the flavour you like, strain the vinegar through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Let the vinegar sit over night covered to let any sediment to settle to the bottom.
Strain the vinegar again to remove any remains of sediment. Wash your bottle with warm, soapy water and fill it with boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Fill with the vinegar, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace. Then seal it up with a new cork or screw cap.
The next recipe is for Banana vinegar and is also ridiculously easy to do. The first time I had this was when living in Costa Rica. My neighbour made bottles of this every year and gave them away as gifts. So without further adieu...
Banana Vinegar
The bananas must be ripe, ideally overripe. No green, only very yellow with some brown spots. If the bananas are brown and mushy they are perfect. About 2 cups of peeled and cut bananas will yield 1 cup of the yummiest vinegar.
What you will need:
• Two bunches of very ripe bananas
• And plenty of patience (3-6 months)
Peel your bananas. Don’t forget to compost the skins or feed them to your rose bushes.
Mash with a fork or you can puree in a blender. Put The mash in a glass jar making sure that is it filled about ¾ of the way.
Cover jar with cheesecloth with elastic band to hold it in place. It is best to put the jar in a large bowl, because it may foam up and overflow the jar. Just pour the overflow from the bowl back into the jar. Eventually the fruit will start to separate into liquid and solids. You should start to see this in a couple of weeks.
As it ferments, the mash changes colors. The banana mash will look strange and funky. That’s okay. It is part of the natural process. The fermenting mash will draw fruit flies. So be prepared.
You can start using the banana vinegar at four months, but it’s even better at six months.
How to use banana vinegar:
This vinegar can be used as a tonic. This vinegar adds a bright flavor to salad dressings or drizzle over raw or cooked vegetables. It also can be used to make refrigerator pickles. Just add chopped garlic, sliced onions, grated carrots, slivered cabbage, chili, and oregano.
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Thank you!
Wow!
I make raspberry and blackberry vinegar for use with pancakes (I use sugar to make the vinegar sweet). I've never even thought of banana and mango vinegar!
I have six mango trees and I am not sure how many banana plants growing in my garden, so I never have a shortage to make vinegar. Raspberry and blackberry vinegar would be good too. I need to plant some this year. My planting season is coming up but I don't know if we will be here or not. You can read about it here: https://steemit.com/story-mentor/@cecicastor/life-in-nicaragua-today
I am so jealous of your mango trees!! Where do you live??
I live in Nicaragua 600 meters from the Pacific Ocean.
Well, I've never met anyone from there before. Nice to meet you!! Sounds awesome!
It usually is but right now it's not very nice.You can read my post about it here: https://steemit.com/story-mentor/@cecicastor/life-in-nicaragua-today
That's a fab idea. Like sweet balsamic glaze!!! Raspberry flavoured vinegar is the best.
Great timing! We were just talking about making vinegar last night!
Homemade is so much tastier and less expensive than store bought.
oh wow so cool! i'll have to try the banana ones as those are easier to find around here. exciting! thanks for sharing :) @birdsinparadise may be intrigued to try either of these though as she lives in mango-land :) thanks @cecicastor :) <3
You are welcome!
Oh my goodness! I love so many types of vinegar! I'm using cranberry pear on my salad tonight!!! Yummm! So fun!
Yum.....!!! Flavoured?
Yes!
That's amazing and thanks so much for sharing. What do you eat them with? Do they develop a mother?
We eat them with salads, on french fries, baked potatoes, fish, use in marinades...
I want to love vinegar but I just don't but I eat and drink it anyway :) These sound really though and maybe just the thing I need to get me over the hump. I know the Hubs would be happy with any of these. Thanks for the inspo and I believe Mango Vinegar is in my very near future.
Try it! You'll love it!
This is nice @cecicastor. I am intrigued by the banana vinegar, never heard of that before! Sounds maybe like easier to make living where you are, but I will definitely try the mango one. I finally have a kitchen to use and can start playing. Yesterday we made different flavoured Tamari's. Now you inspired me to make a post about it. Just need to find the time :-)
If bananas aren't too expensive where you are, you could buy a bunch and make a small batch to try...
Haha it was the fruit flies you mentioned I thought of :-) Im in a Paris appartment, but maybe I'll give it a try :-)
These vinegar recipes are going into my recipe cookbook collection for sure...Very interesting that banana one! Didn't know about that. My husband loves pickles and he is a good taste tester. Nice post.
Thank you!
mmm looks great :)
Better on salads...
Oh the banana vinegar sounds great!
Vinegar is fabulous stuff... I just can't stand it lol! I use it in cooking and cleaning, but all the health experts say "Drink it" and NOPE. That is NOT HAPPENING - unless you want to see my puke. It is billed as a digestive tonic, it is more like an emetic for me!
woohoo awsome sweets!! il test this , i havent tried doing vinegar before, you hade me at mango :p LOL
I've never realized that you can prepare you own home-made-vinegar. I really have to try it myself! Thanks for sharing @cecicastor
You're welcome!