Blackberry Vinegar
It's amazing the things that get discussed in my local. If they televised it, people would say it's too daft to be believable!
Anyway, the subject of Blackberry vinegar has come up a couple of times. Do I make it? No, I don't need to. My grandma always made our family's, now my Dad does it. It's something you have to wait your turn to do!
Now both Horace and Maurice (Of Beetroot & Horseradish Pickle fame) make blackberry vinegar – this 'elixir of life' that has both culinary and medicinal uses.
The consensus on the basic recipe is:
- get a bowl of blackberries
- just cover in malt vinegar
- leave for at least 3 days
- strain
- to each pint of juice add 1lb white sugar
- boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes
- bottle in sterilised bottles
- keep for a while before using
Obviously within these rules there can be many variations. Do you crush the berries? Do you strain through a jelly bag or sieve? Do you press the berries when straining or not? etc. etc.
Now. Maurice is a man of steel – He has no fear of the traditional food police arresting him – so he has made some with cider vinegar. Not only that but he halved the sugar! Daringly brave, or what! The resulting vinegar is superb; it'll be great in a salad dressing and my guess is that it will complement my Beetroot and Goat's Cheese starter.
The traditional uses for the vinegar, as defined by The Elephant & Castle Food Triumvirate, are:
- As a cold remedy mixed with honey and water
- With sugar on Yorkshire pudding as a dessert
- In a cocktail (untested - think this one was towards the end of the night!)
- On chips – well according to Martin
- In dressings as previously mentioned
This recipe can also be used for raspberries, damsons and other soft fruits. I believe some Ikea stores sell one made from Cloudberries.
There are eleven comments
Phil is quite right, things that get discussed in the Elephant are unbeleiveable, who would have thought that you could take up an entire Sunday evening with Blackberry Vinegar?!! Having tasted only the Honourable Horace’s the jury is out on taste comparison until Bricey (Maurice) gets his act in order and brings some in. In all fairness Phil why wait for Dad, get some practice in, it will make a change from bloody sausages !!! xx
OMG, here I was looking for recipes on Blackberry vinegar when I came across this site. Laughed when you were talking about the Elephant, thinking of the Elephant I know! Only to find it IS the same Elephant!
Hi Claire
Just think, if you only asked the old codgers in the corner you could still be in there now. We can spend a whole night discussing something as simple as this!
Hi Anthony
I can’t give an exact answer, but assuming that everything was sterile when you bottle it, it will be years rather than months.
Keep it in the dark though, otherwise the colour will fade.
Hope this helps.
I grew up with this in our house made from Black Berries picked in the Vale of Belvoir from the Duke of Rutlands woodlands It was used as you have described ;medicinally with very hot water -I can remember inhaling the steam from it when my” dose waus all bloked tup wiv code” But the delight of it really was with Yorkshire pudding as a desert . I remember it as being a real treat , a special. It was especially nice if you had been involved in the picking off the berries ,with fingers becoming blackberry stained and chins dribbled with the juice of those berries that went straight in the mouth rather than the can . Anyone remember those white enamelled cans that we drank sugary tea from in the cup that was the lid ?
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My mum used to make blackberry vinigar ,and elderberry wine
both tasted similar .They were excellent on yorkshire pudding and apple pie.It was also used as a remedy to
relieve colds as a hot drink.