Medicinal Vinegar

Throughout the growing season, I like to make batches of herbal vinegars. It’s a simple way to incorporate medicinal plants that are abundant into meals. I like to make salad dressings with them, add a bit to soups, or simple rice and beans. A dash of medicinal vinegar added to bone broth gives the broth an extra bright flavor, plus added minerals from the herbs. In spring, I like to make a vinegar with nettle, cleavers, and dandelion (pictured here). These herbs are known to help cleanse the lymphatic system and stimulate the liver (much needed for our bodies in springtime) and when they are infused into a vinegar, they make a potent medicinal food that tastes quite delicious. Herbal vinegars can be made with any fresh herb you have, and you can also add ginger, garlic, onions, or shallots for extra flavor.

All you need to do is fill a glass jar about 3/4 of the way with finely chopped herbs of your choice. Then add raw apple cider vinegar (the unpasteurized kind with the “mother”) to fill the jar. Cover with a piece of parchment or waxed paper before putting a metal lid on to avoid the vinegar corroding the metal lid (you can alternatively use a plastic lid if you have those) and store in a cool place for a month to allow the herbs to release their medicine into the vinegar. After a month (or a moon cycle), strain the vinegar into another jar or bottle and use the vinegar in any recipe you’d like.