Raspberry Vinegar

I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with raspberry vinegar when I started making this, although I’ve since heard tell that among other things it can be mixed with equal parts sugar syrup and diluted to make a refreshing summer drink much enjoyed by Jane Austen and various other Regency types.

Preparation time: 5 – 10 minutes plus a week to soak
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Skill level: very easy (not at all difficult difficult lemon difficult)

Ingredients

• white wine vinegar – 500ml
• raspberries – 250g
• granulated sugar – 100g-300g

Put the raspberries in a roomy bowl and pour over the vinegar.

Lightly break up the raspberries with a potato masher.

Cover with cling film and set aside for a week – stirring once a day.

When the week is up strain though a tea towel-lined sieve into another bowl, squashing down the raspberry pulp to get out all the juice. Finally bundle up the tea towel and twist out every last drop of liquid.

Pour into a saucepan and add 100g-300g of sugar (depending on how sweet you like your fruit-flavoured vinegar – I opted for 100g and it was quite sweet enough).

Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil.

Boil for 10 minutes and pour into hot, sterilised bottles or jars and seal.

This will keep in the fridge for up to six months.

Verdict: Finished off making this today and had a quick taste … mmm, vinegary, sweetish and very raspberry(y). Should be a useful addition to the kitchen.

Drink: Over seven days? Possibly a splash more than the recommended number of weekly units.

Entertainment: A rare trip to the cinema to see the excellent ‘In the Loop’. Blogger D literally laughed all the way home. ‘Difficult difficult lemon difficult’