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| WONDERFUL VINEGAR |
| No one knows forsure when man began to use vinegar.I have seen books with stories that say people have been using vinegar for 10,000 years.Most of the books I have read think about the time men made wine soon came vinegar.I guess since wine turns into vinegar it is pretty logical.It is hard for human beings to not find a use for everything they can.I am glad someone made vinegar ,because I love it on almost everything..even hot pepper vinegar.The first written records go as far back as 5,000B.C.Grapes and figs and fruits were used in the Mediterranean(I bet they never needed exlax either!) Tribes in Northern Europe and Asia used apples to make a fermented vinegar.The Phoenicians,Egyptians,Greeks,Romans and the rest of the world followed suite.Vinegar became indispensable to people and it still is today.It was used as a preservative,medication,even as a cosmetic(aint it mighty good stuff?).Vinegar is very acidic in nature and slows down the growth of bacteria in food.The ancient civilations were crazy about their vinegars and so am I.We could go on for hours about the history and use of vinegar from a cure for almost everything to just great on a salad.NANA says it is even good when you can't go to the bathroom!(I thought prunees were for that..) |
| WHAT IS VINEGAR? |
| Vinegar is produced from the fermentation of the juice of various fruits or berries,or from honey,molasses,or even cereal grains as in malt vinegars.The process of making vinegar begins when the fermentation changes the sugars in the material into alcohol and gas (sounds painful).The gas will evaporate and leaves the alcohol and flavors.The best I can tell is when oxygen gets to the alcohol and some bacteria they turn into a slush and eventually they make vinegar.I can't explain the chemical reactions,but if you are interested in making your own vinegars there are many great books that can show you just how to do it.I buy my base vinegar already made.There are many kinds of vinegar you can buy at the grocery store or order on the net.I will find a good website to give you more information on how to make vinegar or you can use Yahoo! search.Just type in what you want and hit search.Here are some different kinds of vinegars,there are many more. |
| TYPES OF VINEGARS |
| Balsamic Cane Champagne Cider Coconut Distilled Malt Rice Sherry Plumb Wine Rudy Tutie (old bottle of wine that sat under the sink for 35 years)!! |
| RUDY TUTIE VINAIGRETTE |
| What is a vinaigrette? When you combine oil-and-vinegar the dressing is called a vinaigrette.You can use olive oil or canola,add a little salt,pepper(black or white)herbs and other seasonings.There are no written rules for this ,try your own!Use a little more oil than vinegar.You can put it in a jar and shake it(no metal lids) or leave on the table,or whisk it in a bowl(no metal)and pour it over the salad then toss.Vinaigrette can be used as a marinade to brush on food and cook in the oven or on the grill,or let the food sit in it for a while and then cook.Here are a few things you can add to your oil and vinegar mix for a vinaigrette. |
| THINGS YOU CAN ADD TO A VINAIGRETTE |
| Prepared Mustard Sugar or Honey Garlic or Shallots All kinds of onions All Sweet Peppers All HOT Peppers Citrus Zest(peels) Hot Pepper Sauce Soy Sauce Dry or Red Wine Grated Parmesan Cheese Ketchup and Relishes |
| FLAVORING YOUR VINEGARS !! |
| Flavoring your vinegars is FUN! You get to put herbs and spices in great looking bottles and jars and put neet labels on them,plus you feel like you made something wonderful for yourself and others.When you get ready to flavor your vinegar don't use FATS or SALT.you can use spices,fruits,flowers,herbs,alone or in combination.KEEP THESES THINGS IN MIND....ALWAYS BE CLEAN !! there is no such thing as to clean.Use soapy HOT water on everything-utensils,bottles and any containers and HANDS.If you use Hot Peppers be sure to use gloves(gloves are good anyway).Use nonreactive material.Use glass,plastic,porcelain,pottery,or enamel-coated steel.Use tight nonreactive lids.If you use those metal lids like on canning jars,place a piece of plastic wrap over the opening before you put on the lid. REMEMBER there are no hard and fast rules for making a flavored vinegar,instructions vary widely,so come up with your own!!and make it FUN. Keep a record of how you made it and what you used ,then you can make it again.This could be the beginning of your own Family recipes for vinegars.HECK- grow your own herbs to use and keep a record of that also. TIP- here is a tip vinegars with herbs in them look beautiful sitting in the window in the sunlight,but they do best in a cool dark place.I had some vinegar an herbs sitting in a window when I lived in Savannah,Georgia and it blew -up!.I knew it was hot that day but I never dreamed it was that hot.I had hot peppers and chives and parsley all over my dinning room.I thought it smelled good but noone else did.OH, YA- make sure you stir your stuff or shake it often,and keep vinegar covering the herbs,if they are not in the vinegar they will mold (I grew a small figure of Elvis once). BASIC VINEGAR RECIPE...THIS is the basic way I do my vinegar.Use Cider or Wine vinegar as a base.Take your fresh herbs and mash them a little (bruise)and then loosely fill a clean jar.Pour on warm but not hot vinegar,fill the jar to the top but not so much it touches the lid.Use an acid proof lid(no metal).Set the jar in a warm but not hot place.Shake the jar everyday for 2 weeks.Test the flavor;if you want it stronger strain the vinegar and remove the old herbs add fresh herbs and put the drained vinegar back in the bottle on the fresh herbs.You may need to add a little more vinegar to the jar to cover the fresh herbs,shake everyday till you have it strong enough.When it is the way you like it ,strain through cheese cloth and rebottle with a sprig of herb to look pretty.Some people just use it as is.Put it in salad dressings or as a marinade for meat or veggies.I love HOT peppers in all my vinegars.I like to refregarate all my stuff ,but it is up to you.REMEMBER to Sterilize all your bottles.You can find great vinegar bottles in all the stores or look on PECAN MOON HERB HOME page and find a place to order them.Make sure to clean them by using hot soapy water a good bottle brush comes in handy. Boil some water then put a plasitc funnel in your bottle ,carefully put the hot water in the bottle and then let it sit for 10 minutes.You can use standard canning rules to make sure your bottles are safe.If you use jars sterilize them the same way and if you have to use metal lids besure to put plastic wrap first then the lid(metal is not good).If you use corks in you bottles dip them in parifin Wax(you can get it in the canning section of your grocery store)If you lay a piece of ribbon across the cork and then dip in the parifin wax you can pull the ribbon and the wax will come off easilyDip 2 or 3 times until it looks the way you like. |
| WHERE TO GET HERBS |
| I know that making your own Flavored vinegar will not win you the Nobel Prize,but it is FUN and you feel like you created something good and you can share it with other people and watch them enjoy it.I will have a Kitchen Garden list of herbs and I hope you grow your own herbs.Go to PECAN MOON HERB HOME page and find some links to help you. There are herbs everywhere .Try your grocery store and health food stores. I use a lot of hebal teabags to get my dried herbs ,they are usually fresh and you can just take them out of the teabags and mix them in.I use Celestial Seasonings but there are many kinds to choose from. There are places on the internet to order all your herbs..So make something!!! I hope you can use this information and have fun...Kitty |
| RUDY TUTIE LAZY TOMATO DRESSING |
| GOOD ON EVERYTHING!!!!! |
| 1 cup of tomato juice 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup sherry vinegar(or your own homemade flavoed vinegar) 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatos 1tablespoon lemon juice 2 tabelspoons of your favorite herbs salt and pepper to taste Whisk everything together or shake in a glass container ,chill and pour over everything...makes 13/4 cups. |
| RUDY TUTIE DILLY DRESSING |
| You will Love it or Hate it ! |
| 1/2 cup low-fat (or not!) sour cream 1/4 cup green onions-chop very small 1/4 cup green pitted olives 1 tabelspoon frech dill minced 1/4teaspoon dill seeds If you have no fresh dill use a good strong dill pickel..peel it and mince it or mash it. 1teaspoon mayonaise or honey In a bowl combine all the ingredients.Keep in the freg. To thin it down use mayo. make good dip for chips. |
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| VINEGAR RECIPES |
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