Homemade Vinegar

I am totally in love with homemade vinegar! It makes the most refreshing drink mixed with soda water. And it is so, so easy. 

Basically, you can use any kind of edible plant material. My favorite so far is rose or rhubarb rose. You can use peony, red clover, basil, spruce tips, chive blossoms... anything fresh.

Fill a glass jar half full with the plant material and if there is no natural sugars in it, add some honey or sugar. A few tablespoons per quart should do it. Top it off with non-chlorinated water. 

Cover with a cloth held on with a rubber band and set it on your counter where you will remember to stir it once or twice a day. 

After a week or two strain out the solids, put the liquid back into the jar with a lid and stick it in a dark cupboard for a few months. Then you will have vinegar! 

AND it will be healthy vinegar, full of probiotics. This is the sort of living food my body craves. It's great for salads and soups, but my favorite way to use it is to make a healthy, refreshing non-alcoholic beverage. You can mix it with honey for a switchel, or just do straight vinegar and water/ soda water. 

Try it and let me know what kind is your favorite!