Photo: Cranberry Vinegar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bag fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/4 cup vanilla scented sugar syrup, recipe follows
- Pinch salt
- 3/4 cup Champagne vinegar (6 percent acidity)
Directions
Put cranberries, syrup and salt in a pan and heat over high heat until cranberries begin to pop. Remove from heat, let cool and then puree in a blender. Add vinegar and taste for balance. Add more vinegar and thin with water if necessary. Strain through a fine strainer into a bowl or pitcher. Store in a clean jar or bottle (do not use metal lids or tops) and refrigerate. Keeps several weeks.
Vanilla Scented Syrup:
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 vanilla beans, minced, or 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves only
Keep this syrup on hand to add to iced tea and other cold drinks or for poaching fruit. It does not need to be refrigerated. The vanilla is minced to make sure all its flavor is extracted into the syrup.
Put the sugar, water, vanilla beans, a pinch salt, and the thyme leaves in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to a simmer and cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool. Puree syrup in a blender until vanilla beans are thoroughly chopped into the syrup. Strain through a fine strainer into a sterilized jar. If using vanilla extract instead of beans, add extract after the sugar syrup has cooled and pour into a jar. Seal tightly.
Yield: 4 1/2 cups
* Sterilizing Jars
Properly handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.
Tips:
Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two-piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum-seal when processed.
To sterilize jars before filling with jams, pickles or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.
Use tongs when handling hot sterilized jars, to move them from boiling water. Be sure tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.
After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.
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By katers1226_6880245
Pittsburgh, PA
on December 16, 2006
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I used this recipe, hoping it would impress a cook in my family as a Christmas gift. It was much harder to make than Michael Chiarello makes it sound, and it's messy. I couldn't find champagne vinegar anywhere, and when I finally found it in an Italian food superstore the smallest amount it came in was 2 gallons... much more than I needed! I used 1/2 red wine and 1/2 white vinegar instead. However, the end result hardly bares the flavor resemblence to cranberry. It's very sour and somewhat bitter. I had used much, much more sugar than recommended, too. Hmmm. You really shouldn't use this recipe if you're trying to flaunt your culinary skills... the end result is not very impressive.
By stephenbo_2792810
Roseburg, OR
on December 27, 2005
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I made this as a last minute gift for a basket. I was very imbarased that it did not age over three days. It was bitter and unable to eat even on a salad. I added an extra 1/2 cup of the simple syrup mixture. This time it was sour and sweet enough to eat on a salad. Still not right should have added about 1 tsp of salt in stead of a pinch. will not make it again.
By paperstars_392900
Danbury, CT
on January 08, 2005
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Made this recipe as Christmas Treats for all of my neighbors...excellent...I attached possible recipes with this vinegar that I had personally tested...in Salads, in Chicken dishes, as bread dipping oil...they loved it...
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