Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) vinegar is fantastic added to salad dressings. It can also be used as a thirst quencher on a hot day, and is excellent as a hot drink when you have a cold or the flu.
When you notice a cold looming, take 1 tablespoon of blackberry vinegar in a cup of hot water, or drink 2-3 cups a day if your cold is full-blown.
Step 1
Pick 1lb of blackberries. Remove the stalks, use only the berries.
Step 2
Put the blackberries in an earthenware dish. Make sure they are no more than 2 inches deep.
Step 3
Pour on enough cider vinegar to cover them.
Step 4
Now cover with a dish and leave for 3 to 5 days, depending on how time-strapped you are. Leaving them longer will simply impart a stronger bramble flavour.
Step 5
Now grab a muslin bag (a jelly bag is perfect for this), and strain the blackberries for twelve hours.
Step 6
Get a saucepan, and for every 1/2 pint of juice, add 1/2lb of sugar.
Step 7
Bring the liquid up to boil, while at the same time stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Once boiling, simmer for five minutes.
Step 8
If a frothy scum (sounds appealing!) appears on the top of the blackberry liquid, skim it off.
Step 9
Wait for the liquid to cool before pouring into a suitable bottle.
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds great.
Do you think it would work as well with Rhubarb?
Peter
In a word Peter… “probably”. In this game it’s pretty much experimentation, so I’d suggest cutting up the rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces and follow the same instructions as for the Blackberry Vinegar recipe. Maybe add more sugar as rhubarb is quite tart, so taste-test along the way.
Sounds great! My small grandson loves ‘blacks’ so we picked them together in the woods near his home and are waiting for the end of the process to taste it. Do you think honey would be a substitute for sugar? Guess ‘suck it and see’ would be the way forward – unless you have other and better info. Thanks
Have saved some ‘blacks’ for the forthcoming jelly recipe
Sonia, I have not used honey, although I’m planning to experiment. I have heard of people using honey instead of sugar when making blackberry cordial, so in theory it should work. Apparently 2/3rds of a cup of honey equals 1 cup of sugar.
Try it on pancakes instead of lemon/line juice!
Here in the South, there is a folk recipe for blackberries. I believe it’s called Blackberry Shrub. Fill a jar with blackberries, cover with apple cider vinegar, put a lid on, and store it in the pantry till winter. All the recipes I see now show to cook it. What about raw? Do you think there is a danger? Should it be strained after it has been sitting for a few weeks? I’m not sure of all the details, was wondering if anyone would know.
Sue – This is the same process I use for fruit vinegars and they are all raw! No heat applied. I’m still around. And yes, you need to strain them through muslin after anything from a few days to a week or so. Finger taste to see what you think.
Thanx this was really useful
sarah
I make this every year but we use it on pancakes and yorkshire puddings, it is like lemon and sugar, sweet and sour. its an old family recipe.
I like it on rice pudding too!
what can you do with the residue? Seems a waste to throw away can it be made into a chutney or something?
Dave: You can use the pulp for anything you want. I throw it away.
Any reason why the the dish can’t be more than 2 inches deep?
thanks R
Richard: You know what, I can’t for the life of me remember why I said that. Can’t see a problem if the dish is taller than 2 inches.
Would it make much difference, other than taste, if I reduce the sugar content? I prefer things to be less sweet!
Katy: Reducing sugar won’t be a problem, although it might effect the storability of the vinegar. By how much I don’t know.
Honey is a very good variation –just makes it a little smoother . I use malt vinegar but will now try with cider vinegar .
Uses include : pancakes –especially if the previous one on the plate had syrup .
Steam pudding –it soaks through —still have custard as well .
And finally -Yorkshire pudd as a dessert . Again some golden syrup as well
I have also tried it in Whisky–very good for a sore throat .
And most important —keep it as long as poss before using –it does improve with age .2yrs or more
We used to get buckets full of blackberries when we were kids, and my Gran made huge tubs of blackberry vinegar, so I am sure the depth only depends on how many berries you have at the time.
Always great on yokshire pud or suit puddings
How long would it be kept in a bottle?
My Grandmother and mother both made damson, raspberry or blackberry vinegar. We used it on pancakes, also good on ice cream. Soothes sore throats and coughs. I have just made 3 bottles of blackberry, yummy.
Joyce: I’ve still got some left over from last year which is fine.
Ok, here’s a variation on the prep method-hope you can give me the definitive answer: I’m making seedless blackberry jam (our wild blackberries in this part are tiny and super seedy). I’ve run mine through a food mill and still have what looks like pretty pulpy blackberry “squish”. I’d like to know if I can use all that leftover mush to make your recipe, or will it come out too unflavored. This was my ahh ha moment-to try to make a vinegar out of it all, and then lucky me, I found this site! I’ll give it a shot while I wait to see if an answer pops up-stay tuned!
My long departed Gran used to make this and I loved it on yorkshire pud and by the spoonfull when no one was looking. (sneaking into the pantry) I have not tasted any since she passed away and had quite forgotten about it. My next task of the day is to go and pick blackberrys.
In my family it has always been eaten on a simple sponge pudding with custard