Dill Vinegar Recipe - Deliciously Dill-y

Dill vinegar with decorative dill flower

Dill lends itself well to herbal vinegar. Add it to fresh vegetables from the garden like carrots, cauliflower, or cucumbers. It also makes a nice low cal ingredient in salad dressing, sauces, and marinades. Make up a batch to instant-pickle your peppers, or spice up your mustard crusted salmon.

Dill Vinegar Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups of apple cider vinegar
8 to 12 sprigs of fresh dill (You can also use two tablespoons of crushed dill seed)
1 clove of garlic, sliced (optional)
10 peppercorns

Instructions

Wash dill thoroughly and place in a clean jar with a plastic (non-reactive) lid.
Add sliced garlic and peppercorns. Fill with warm vinegar (105 Degrees F or thereabouts) to cover. Place the jar in a sunny window, shaking daily for three weeks to a month.
After three weeks, test for flavor and add more fresh dill if necessary.
When you like the flavor, strain the mixture and use a funnel to move it to a decorative container in which you've placed a flowering sprig of dill. This makes a nice presentation, and it also helps to identify the vinegar if you make more than one variety.

If you are not a garlic lover, it can be omitted, but try adding a flavorful alternative instead, like lemon balm, ginger, mustard seeds, or a small sprig of rosemary.

Of the vinegars I've made, dill and tarragon are the most popular. I frequently give them as hostess gifts. I've also had luck with blended varieties (like bay leaf with peppercorns or basil and lemon balm). I always keep my vinegars refrigerated.

Special Note: Herbal vinegars make thoughtful gifts, but be sure to include a list of ingredients and a couple of recipes for their use. They look beautiful when added to a holiday basket, and make a nice arrangement on a kitchen shelf or countertop if you reserve them for display purposes only and keep them out of direct sunlight.