Herb infused vinegar is rich in minerals, extracted from the herbs. When you make herb infused vinegar you get a flavorful ingredient for salad dressings and marinades. You also get the extra vitamins and minerals from the herbs in every teaspoon.
When we are weeding the garden in the summer, I like to collect a basketful of those early summer weeds, like lamb’s quarters, stinging nettle (with gloves of course), cleavers, and clover.ย Those early garden weeds are rich in mineral salts, much richer than the garden vegetables I’m making room for by pulling these “weeds”.
It would be a shame to not capture some of that wealth in an herbed vinegar.
Extracting Minerals from Herbs with Vinegar
Vinegar is the best solvent for minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, selenium, potassium, phosphate, and iodine.ย When herbs are infused in vinegar these minerals are drawn out of the herbs and into the vinegar, to be preserved for later.
Minerals are more easily extracted from vegetables and herbs with vinegar and water than with alcohol. When you make an infused vinegar using herbs you capture these minerals in an easily assimilated form. You also preserve them to use during the off-season. Infused vinegar has a longer shelf life than fresh and dried herbs.
As herbalist Paul Bergner points out, โan ounce of many dried herbs contains far higher mineral content than even three ounces of fruits, vegetables, or other plant foods โ sometimes more than ten times the amount.โ
But the key to extracting the full value from dried herbs is a long infusion. You just donโt extract enough minerals in a cup of tea. However, a long infusion of 3 or 4 weeks in vinegar transfers most of the minerals from the herb to the vinegar.
As you are extracting the minerals you will also be extracting some tannins, which can cause the vinegar to taste a little harsh. Add some sweet tasting herbs like rosemary, oregano, sage, lemon balm, or bee balm/monarda to the blend as well.
Doing this will enable you to create your own โhouse dressingโ based on good tasting and mineral-rich herbs from your garden or from your local herb supplier.
Some herbs to infuse in vinegar for their mineral content
- Alfalfa
- Barley grass
- Burdock root
- Chickweed
- Dandelion greens and root
- Linden leaf
- Nettle leaf
- Oat straw
- Orach or lambโs quarters
- Raspberry leaf
- Red clover
- See alsoย 20 Amazing Ways to Grow Herbs for Homestead Abundance
Herbs to sweeten the flavor
- Bee Balm/Monarda
- Garlic
- Lemon Balm
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Berries
Herb Infused Vinegar to Grab the Minerals You Might Be Missing
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 weeks
- Total Time: 672 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: salad dressing
- Method: infused
- Cuisine: American
Description
Use as you would any infused vinegar for mineral-rich salad dressing.
Ingredients
1 ยฝ cups of mineral-rich herbs
2 tablespoon sweet-tasting herbs or berries
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 cups of white balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- In a wide mouth mason jar, place herbs, garlic, and vinegar.
- Stir to moisten the herbs. Cap tightly.
- Put the jar in a warm cupboard, protected from light. Shake the jar once a day for 4 weeks.
- Strain the herbs from the vinegar. Press them in a potato ricer to extract as much vinegar as possible.
- Pour the vinegar into a colored glass bottle, with a twist lid.
Notes
Make a vinaigrette by combining herb infused vinegar with 1/4 cup of virgin olive oil, and 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard then mix all the ingredients together in a mason jar. Using an immersion blender or a whisk blend the ingredients until the mixture is thick and uniform.
Herb Infused Vinegar Recipe
Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients:
1 ยฝ cups of mineral-rich herbs
2 tablespoon sweet-tasting herbs or berries
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 cups of white balsamic vinegar
Directions:
- In a wide mouth mason jar, place herbs, garlic, and vinegar.
- Stir to moisten the herbs. Cap tightly.
- Put the jar in a warm cupboard, protected from light. Shake the jar once a day for 4 weeks.
- Strain the herbs from the vinegar. Press them in a potato ricer to extract as much vinegar as possible.
Pour the vinegar into a colored glass bottle, with a twist lid.
Use as you would any infused vinegar for mineral-rich salad dressing.
Vinaigrette Recipe
Yield 4 ounces
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons herbed vinegar
1/4 cup of virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a mason jar. Using an immersion blender or a whisk blend the ingredients until the mixture is thick and uniform.
Check out my new class
Learn more about making healthy and nutritious shrubs, vinegar drinks, infused vinegar,ย ice pops, sherbet, botanical drinks, herbal tea, fruity lemonades, liqueurs, and bistro drinks healthier at home using wholesome ingredients, less sugar, and more fun.ย My new class Inspiring Botanical Drinks will help you turn your garden produce and easy to find ingredients into beautiful beverages and frozen desserts easily.
Break the pop and sweet tea habit with these healthier options.ย You’ll save money, reduce food waste, and enjoy delicious and nutritious hot and cold drinks year-round when you use herbs, garden fruit and berries, and even weeds to make healthy tea, drinks, and beverage syrups.
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