In Park Spoor Noord the rose hips were shining red and beckoning in the sun. Well, what can I do then? There were many tempting ones hanging, but I also left some hanging for the birds of course. I picked two handfuls, but I couldn't immediately think of what to make with them: dry them for tea, rose hip syrup, ...?
The world wide web always brings inspiration. This time via a blog post from Gather Victoria. This is really a beautiful site, every blog post is so inspiring: they start from the season, collect the most beautiful herbs and fruits, tell all about the history, folklore and tradition and end with the most beautiful and original recipes. Always a pleasure to read and watch and a source of tons of inspiration.
I got the idea to make a herbal vinegar with the rosehips from their latest blog post Beautiful Venus Vinegar : Autumn Medicine and Magic . An herbal vinegar is a wonderful way to process and use the power of herbs. Vinegar extracts all the nutrients such as vitamins and minerals from the herbs. You can then use the vinegar as a dressing over vegetables, as an extra flavoring in a stew or as a shot in a glass of water. A delicious way to use herbs in your meals every day ... if you like vinegar that is. If you want to know more about all the benefits of an herbal vinegar, you can just read their blog post. But I can already tell you that it is good for your immunity and your intestinal flora. And that in combination with the vitamin C from the rose hips!
For my version I used:
- 2 handfuls of rose hips
- an old pepper
- a piece of ginger
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
- a few sprigs of rosemary
- seven young chicory leaves
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 400 ml apple cider vinegar
If all goes well, this will be fruity, spicy, sour and sweet!
With a knife I first made cuts in the rose hips, so that the vinegar can penetrate well and they do not float to the surface. Do not cut the rose hips, because then the fine hairs are released, which are irritating. The ginger was peeled and chopped into pieces. The rosemary and the chicory leaves were finely chopped.
Then you combine herbs, honey and apple cider vinegar in a glass jar with a non-metallic lid. Put the jar somewhere where you remember to shake it every now and then (out of the sun). And after 3 weeks you can filter and use your herb vinegar. Although you can also taste it beforehand and possibly filter it earlier.
Unlike with herbal oil, you can't go wrong with herbal vinegar. So you can throw anything in your herbal vinegar and experiment with proportions. Keep the following tips in mind:
- make sure you have clean materials (herbs, jar, lid, etc.).
- make sure all your herbs and such are completely covered with vinegar, nothing should stick out or float above the surface, otherwise there is a chance of mold.
- make sure the acidity is maintained. By that I mean that if you add watery fruits (e.g. raspberries, yum!), don't overdo it. If you dilute the vinegar too much with water, it will no longer be acidic enough and will lose its preserving power.
- make sure you have a non-metallic lid, use a glass or plastic lid. If you only have a metal lid, use baking paper between the jar and the lid so that the vinegar does not touch the metal lid. Otherwise you will get metal deposits in your vinegar, which is firstly not tasty and secondly anything but healthy.
- make sure you label your jar immediately, even after filtering. Put the date and ingredients on the label so you know what's in that jar/bottle.
Good luck and please let us know your recipes!