Growing & Using Basil by Ellen Ogden

Author:Ellen Ogden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 1990-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Basil Vinegars

Basil vinegars add extra flavors to recipes, and they’re pretty to look at, too. Bottling a fresh basil in vinegar is a good way to preserve the essence of this sweet herb. Try basil vinegar on a tossed green salad or mix it with steaming hot new potatoes as a marinade.

Begin with apple cider or white vinegar. Opal basil is especially vibrant used in white vinegar, where it imparts the purple color from its leaves and creates an exotic and aromatic liquid. The flavor of green basil blends nicely with apple cider vinegar.

Pick the basil for the vinegar in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the heat of the day. Fill a glass Mason jar with the leaves, and bruise them slightly with a wooden spoon. Then follow one of these two traditional methods. Note: If there is any metal on the lid, put a piece of plastic wrap over the opening before capping.

For variety, add one small hot pepper and a few cloves of peeled garlic to the finished bottles in either of the basil vinegar recipes.

BASIL VINEGAR I

This is the old time way of making herbal vinegar, and many purists believe it to be the best. Remember when you harvest your basil to save a few sprigs of the fresh herb for decorating the finished bottles.

1-gallon glass jar with a wide-mouth opening or an enamel pot

1 gallon cider or white vinegar

8 cups fresh basil leaves

4 clean, 1-quart Mason jars or decorative bottles

Place the basil in the clean 1-gallon jar, and bruise or crush the leaves slightly with a wooden spoon. Fill with vinegar. Cap with a lid or cover. Set the jar in a sunny window or porch for two to three weeks. Strain the vinegar, pouring it into four 1-quart Mason jars or decorative bottles. Add a sprig of fresh basil to each bottle for identification.

MAKES 4 QUARTS.

BASIL VINEGAR II

This method takes only two days to develop a robust basil-flavored vinegar.

1 large enamel or cast-iron pot

2 quarts apple cider or white vinegar

4 cups fresh basil leaves

2 clean, 1-quart Mason jars

In an enamel or cast-iron pot, heat the vinegar to just below the boiling point. Meanwhile, fill the glass jars with basil leaves. Pour the heated vinegar over the basil, then cover the jars with lids or covers. Allow the vinegar to steep for two to four days. Then strain and rebottle the vinegar in smaller jars or decorative bottles. Add a sprig or two of fresh basil for identification.

MAKES 2 QUARTS.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.