EASY HERB VINEGAR

Start with cider or wine vinegar. Pick enough fresh herbs to loosely fill a jar. Bruise the leaves to aid in the release of flavours and oils and place in your jar. Warm enough vinegar to fill the jar, be sure not to have the vinegar hot, just warm to touch. Seal jar with an acid proof lid, preserving jars and lids are perfect for this and the variety of sized allow for any amount you want to make. Place the sealed jar in a sunny window and each day for two weeks shake it up. After two weeks taste and check for the flavour you want, if you prefer a stronger taste, strain the herbs and repeat process with fresh herbs to infuse with more flavour. After process completed to desired strength the blend can be stored as is or strained through cheesecloth and poured into a nice bottle. Label the bottle or place a fresh sprig of the herb used in the bottle for visual appeal and identification.
If you have friends or relative who appreciate the fine development of fresh vinegars and vinaigrettes these make a great gift with little effort.
Depending on your choice of herb, sliced garlic can be added to the steeping vinegar blend for the first day then removed and 2 cloves can be placed in for the remaining 13 days.

Vinegars For Fruit Salads:
Floral vinegars are an intriguing addition to fruit salads on a hot summer day. Processed the same way as the herb vinegars above some to consider are: rosemary flowers, thyme flowers, clover, elderflowers, nasturtiums, rose petals, primroses, sweet violets. When preparing flowers, remove stems, and all green and white heels from the ends of the petals.