Flavoured Vinegars

Gather tarragon on a dry day just before it flowers.

Pick the green leaves from the stalks.

Dry the leaves a little before the fire.

Put the leaves into a wide‑mouthed stone jar.

Cover them with the best vinegar, filling up the jar.

Let the mixture steep for fourteen days.

Strain the liquid into wide‑mouthed bottles.

In each bottle, put a large quantity of fresh tarragon leaves.

Let the leaves remain in the vinegar.

Make sweet basil, green mint, and sweet marjoram vinegars by the same method.

Pound two ounces of celery seed in a mortar.

Steep the seed for a fortnight in a quart of vinegar.

Strain the liquid and bottle it.

Nearly fill a wide‑mouthed bottle with fresh green burnet leaves.

Cover the leaves with vinegar.

Let them steep for two weeks.

Strain off the vinegar.

Wash the bottle.

Put a fresh supply of burnet leaves into the bottle.

Pour the same vinegar over the new leaves.

Let it infuse for a fortnight.

Strain the liquid again.

Boil a quart of the best vinegar until hot.

Pour the hot vinegar over four ounces of scraped horseradish.

Let it stand for a week.

Strain the liquid off.

Renew the horseradish.

Add the same vinegar cold to the new horseradish.

Let it infuse for a week.

Strain the liquid again.

Peel and finely chop four ounces of shalots or small button onions.

Pour a quart of the best vinegar over them.

Let them steep for a fortnight.

Strain the liquid and bottle it.

Use one ounce of garlic per quart of vinegar to make garlic vinegar.

Add two or three drops of garlic to a pint of gravy or sauce for flavor.

Use sparingly to avoid strong taste.

Gather a hundred fresh red chillies or capsicums.

Cut them into small pieces.

Infuse them for a fortnight in a quart of the best vinegar, shaking the bottle daily.

Strain the liquid.

Put two quarts of ripe fresh‑gathered raspberries into a stone or china vessel.

Pour a quart of vinegar over the raspberries.

Let the mixture stand for twenty‑four hours.

Strain the liquid through a sieve.

Pour the liquid over two quarts of fresh raspberries.

Let it infuse for a day and a night.

Strain the liquid a second time.

Allow a pound of loaf sugar to every pint of juice.

Break up the sugar and let it melt in the liquor.

Put the whole mixture into a stone jar.

Cover it closely.

Set the jar in a kettle of boiling water kept on a quick boil for an hour.

Remove all scum.

Let it cool.

Bottle the vinegar for use.