Name: Flavored Vinegars
Ingredients: three ounces of either of these herbs; one gallon of sharp vinegar; three ounces of the seed as above

Flavored Vinegars

Ingredients

three ounces of either of these herbs
one gallon of sharp vinegar
three ounces of the seed as above

Directions

Almost all the flavorings used for meats and salads may be prepared in vinegar with little trouble and expense, and will be found useful to impart an acid to flavors when lemons are not at hand.
Tarragon, sweet basil, burnet, green mint, sage, thyme, sweet marjoram, etc., may be prepared by putting three ounces of either of these herbs, when in blossom, into one gallon of sharp vinegar, let stand ten days, strain off clear, and bottle for use.
Celery and cayenne may be prepared, using three ounces of the seed as above.

By F. L. Gillette and Hugo Ziemann. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Project Gutenberg).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Herbs: Provide the main aroma and flavor that the vinegar takes up during steeping.
Sharp vinegar: Acts as the solvent that extracts flavor and gives the finished liquid its acidity.
Celery seed: Supplies a warm, aromatic flavor that the vinegar carries once steeped.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.