As the end of summer is approaching I feel the urge to start preserving things for the winter months to come.
I made Cherry brandy to enjoy at the christmas holidays and next week the damsons are going into the copper kettle to become a gooey jam to use in pies.
This is how I hang on to those months when we had plenty of light and warmth from the sun, colorful delicate fruits at the market and fresh strawberries on our bread.
Summer in a bottle or a jar.
When autumn has deprived us of the last of the warm days, I will make a salad with perhaps some quail and walnuts, this raspberry vinegar will be used to drizzle the green leaves with a radiant red color. Like blood it will be dripping on my plate and I will remember the summers day when I bought the raspberries at a farmshop in Kent and the lunch we had after we strolled trough the little village by the sea. The Cider vinegar came from a road trip to the Cheddar gorge on my parents 35th anniversary and is the tastiest I’ve ever found. Memories are stored in this bottle if you like, if you are as romantic about it as me.
This recipe for Raspberry vinegar is fuss free and takes minutes to make, you only need to let the vinegar rest for 4-6 days before you strain and bottle it.
I used Isabella Beeton’s 1860’s recipe as a guide and amended where needed. As she uses a lot of sugar in hers, I didn’t in mine and I find the vinegar doesn’t need it.
Raspberries
are a rich source of vitamin C, B, iron and magnesium. Up to 20 percent
of their total weight is made up of fiber and they are also high in
antioxidants. The leaves of the raspberry plant have been used for
medicinal purposes for generations.
What do you need
To make 1 bottle as shown in the picture:
100g of raspberries or leftover raspberry pulp.
25 cl of good quality cider vinegar
a strainer
a funnel
a ceramic bowl
Method
Rinse the raspberries
Place the raspberries in a ceramic bowl
Crush the fruit with a fork
Add the Cider Vinegar until your bowl is completely full
Cover the bowl with cling film
Leave in a cool dark place for 4-6 days
After 3 days
Strain the vinegar and discard the pulp
Transfer the vinegar to the bottle(s) using a funnel
Leave for a month in a cool dark place, it will be autumn by then.
The vinegar will keep for at least six months.
Lovely with salad with quail, goats cheese and also with ice-cream. But I like a little spoonful from time to time… Some claim it is good to cure a cold.
You might also like
Make your own cherry brandy
Make your own butter
Regula Ysewijn is a food writer, stylist and photographer, with a particular interest in historical recipes. he is a Great Taste Awards judge and a member of The Guild of Food Writers, as well as one of the two judges on 'Bake Off Vlaanderen', the Belgian version of 'The Great British Bake-Off'. A self-confessed Anglophile, she collects old British cookbooks and culinary equipment in order to help with her research. She is the author of 5 books: Pride and Pudding the history of British puddings savoury and sweet, Belgian Café Culture, the National Trust Book of Puddings, Brits Bakboek and Oats in the North, Wheat from the South. 
Divine! That vinegar must be very tasty.
I love the first picture.
Cheers,
Rosa
This is so beautiful, Regula! I'm dreaming about getting a bottle of homemade raspberry vineger for my birthday or for Christmas. 🙂
You never know, it's almost your birthday 😉
gorgeous color Regula and I love that you always look for traditionally used recipes!
xox Karin
Yeah with all the mod cons around me during the day I like to take a step back and see how it was done in years gone by!
truly fascinating Regula! I just can imagine it, like blood, on tender salad leaves, and the crunchy walnuts too… I love when salads turn from side dishes to surprisingly good main course, and the vinegar will surely add character and charm.
I like to consider the vinegar an infusion of sweet memories and summer sun, it will warm your winter days!
love xx
A bottle of memories indeed! To treasure when the cold comes 🙂 x
I discovered your blog through JulsKitchen!It's very nice and with a lot of interesting british recipes. This vinegar could be a brilliant idea for christmas presents!!
Chiara
Thanks you Chiara, you are very welcome and this vinegar is indeed a good christmas gift!
Vinegar from Cheddar …Somerset is famous for cider so why not cider vinegar. Lovely, lovely pics.
Thanks so much Sally! The Somerset Cider Vinegar is delicious!
Hi there! This recipe looks fantastic and perfect for holiday gift giving. I don't have a kitchen scale, and was wondering if you knew, roughly, how many cups are in 100 g of raspberries. Thanks so much!
Hi there, one cup would be good 🙂
Perfect, thanks so much!!
Hi Regula, am I missing something? I feel a bit silly, but I can't see the actual recipe in your article. Please forgive me if it's staring me in the face. I would love to make this, it sounds divine 🙂
Dear Kara, you have to click on "read more" under the last sentence and the rest of the blog post and recipe will appear.
Let me know if you don't find it 😉
Thank you, lovely, for taking the time to respond here and on Insta 🙂 xox
THRILLED that I discovered your blog today ~ absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you Marla x
Is there a reason you use a ceramic bowl? Would a glass bowl be ok to use?
Hi there, glass would be totally fine. Just don't use steel in fear of oxidation of the vinegar. 🙂