Raspberry Mint Vinegar Recipes

Steps:

• Rinse the berries and air-dry on paper towels. Place berries in a 6-cup jar; set aside. In large saucepan, combine vinegar and sugar; bring almost to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Do not boil. , Pour hot vinegar mixture over berries; cover jar tightly and let stand at room temperature 48 hours. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into a sterilized bottle or jar. Seal tightly with a cork or lid. Store in cool dark place.

Steps:

• Put the mint leaves in a very clean 1-quart glass jar and bruise them with a wooden spoon. Add the raspberries and mash them with the spoon. Add the vinegar and let the mixture steep, covered with the lid, in a cool dark place for at least 4 days and up to 2 weeks, depending on the strength desired. Strain the vinegar through a fine sieve into a glass pitcher, discarding the solids, and pour it into 2 very clean 1/2-pint glass jars. Add the mint sprigs and seal the jars with the lids.

Steps:

• Cover beets with water by 1 inch in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and simmer until tender when pierced in center with a fork, about 30 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then slip off and discard skins. Cut beets into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• While beets are cooking, stir together scallions, 2 tablespoons vinegar, lemon juice to taste, mint, zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Add warm beets and toss with vinaigrette and vinegar and salt to taste. Serve warm or slightly chilled.
• *Sometimes called candy-cane beets, chioggias become more aggressive in flavor as they age, so search out relatively young beets, with a diameter of 1 1/2 to 2 inches.

Steps:

• Put raspberries, mint leaves, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar in a mixer and mix until smooth.
• Pass through a strainer into a small pan.
• Add sugar.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes while constantly stirring.

Steps:

• Place vinegar in a container with tight lid. Add sugar and mint, cover with lid, and shake to dissolve sugar. Stir in additional sugar (up to another teaspoon) if necessary to smooth out the vinegar flavor.

Steps:

• In a medium, nonreactive saucepan over low heat, warm the vinegar just until it begins to give off steam (do not bring to a boil).
• Put 1 pint of the raspberries into a fine sieve fitted over a sterilized 1/2-gallon clamp jar.
• Pour the warm vinegar over the berries and let it run into the jar, then add the berries to the jar.
• Allow the mixture to cool 20 to 30 minutes to room temperature, then seal and shake the jar gently.
• Set the jar out of direct sunlight and away from heat to steep for 4 days, shaking it every so often. While steeping, the vinegar will take on a raspberry hue and the fruit will lose most of its color.
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large batter bowl with a handle or into a large, nonreactive saucepan.
• Rinse the jar and return the strained vinegar to it. Rinse the bowl or saucepan.
• Dump the fruit and rinse the sieve. Dampen a flat-bottom coffee filter, then line the sieve with the filter and fit it over the bowl or saucepan.
• Transfer the vinegar to flasks or bottles. Discard fruit.
• If you wish, spear 6 to 8 whole raspberries on a wooden skewer and put the skewer into the container before filling.
• The vinegar should be ready to use immediately, with a shelf life of at least 1 year.
• VARIATION: For Raspberry Lemon Thyme Vinegar, place 1 sprig fresh lemon thy me in a flask or bottle before adding the vinegar. Fill, seal, and steep out of direct sunlight and away from heat for 1 week before using or shipping.
• CRANBERRY VINEGAR Follow the recipe for Raspberry Vinegar, except substitute 4 cups (1 pound) fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped, for the raspberries. Decorate, if you wish, with skewers of whole cranberries.

Steps:

• In a food processor chop fine the mint with the sugar and transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Stir the water into the mixture, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and stir in the vinegar. Let the sauce stand, covered, for 15 minutes or chill it, covered, overnight. Serve the sauce at room temperature with lamb.

Steps:

• In a nonreactive bowl, combine the vinegar and raspberries. Cover and let macerate for 3 days.
• Mash the raspberries in the bowl, then strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. To every 1 cup of juice, add ½ pound of sugar (1¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon). Combine the juice and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer (gently!) for 15 minutes. Let cool, then bottle. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 months.
• To serve, add 1 teaspoon raspberry vinegar to a tumbler filled with ice. Add water, sparkling water, rum, brandy or prosecco.

Steps:

• Pour vinegar over mint. Cover tightly and steep 2-3 weeks.
• Strain into decorative bottle. Press the mint leaves against the strainer to extract all the vinegar.
• A few mint leaves may be added for decorative purposes.