Raspberry Vinegar

For the past couple of weeks every time a chum has popped round they have wrinkled up their noses and demanded to know why my house always smells of vinegar. Which is a slight exageration, but there is some truth in it, what with all the chutneys I have been making there has been a certain tang about the air of late.

These smells reached their crescendo last night as I made raspberry vinegar, which had been stewing in a bowl on the kitchen table for the best part of a week. I decided to make raspberry vinegar after reading Susan Loomis' On Rue Tatin, which is about her experience (as an American) moving to France as a cookery writer. The recipes in it look fantastic; I was particularly intrigued by her suggestion to serve goats cheese with raspberry vinegar and lavender honey. When I stumbled across a recipe for raspberry vinegar in the River Cottage Preseves book, Preserves, by Pam Corbin I couldn't resist. The colour of the vinegar is stunning and it was incredibly simple to make. And better yet that should be the end of my house smelling of vinegar!

Raspberries stewing in vinegar

Raspberry Vinegar

1kg Raspberries
600ml white wine vinegar
Granulated Sugar

The raspberries need to be put in a bowl with the vinegar, smash them up a bit and then leave to stew for 5 days. Strain through a blanched jelly bag over night. Then measure your liquid, for every 600ml vinegar add 450g sugar. Bring this to the boil stirring to dissolve the sugar and boil for 10 minutes. If any scum rises remove it. Remove from the heat and bottle once cool.


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In other news, I think my preserving phase is taking over my mind - I had a meeting yesterday and ended up educating the poor chap about pectin levels in different fruits!