GOURMET HERB VINEGAR OWNER'S MANUAL

ABOUT OUR HERB VINEGARS...

You have just become the proud owner of a custom made, premium quality gourmet herb vinegar.

One of the most delightful uses of fresh herbs and spices is in the preparation of natural herbal vinegars. They are made by the traditional slow infusion method, and are aged for many weeks. Some of the herbs I use are basil, coriander, rosemary, thyme, tarragon and a combination of mixed herbs.

These products are free of pesticides, additives, artificial flavorings, MSG, and salt, are very low in calories and very rich in vitamins, enzymes and soluble fiber. Refrigeration is not necessary, but do store them away from direct sunlight and temperature extremes. Natural sediments can occur in herbal vinegars from using fresh ingredients. Shelf life is one year, unopened. Good rule: if it smells good, use it!

These delicious vinegars make wonderful gifts, and they also add new and exciting dimension to cooking. Herb vinegars can make the simplest meal special. Most often herbal vinegars supply the principal flavors associated with pickling, salad dressings, potato salad, coleslaw and marinades, and they can enliven other foods as well. Instead of fresh lemon or lime juice, I frequently drizzle aromatic herbal vinegar over foods as a flavorful substitute that especially brings out the best of raw and cooked vegetables. Beneficial also to fish, chicken and beef, herb vinegars may be used instead of wine to flavor a dish . Used as a tenderizer, it gives a magical uplift to soups, sauces and stews. Try a generous dash of mixed herb cider vinegar with spaghetti sauce, thyme red wine vinegar with beef stew, blueberry vinegar in a chilled blueberry soup, or tarragon wine vinegar with mushrooms and in dips Somehow, vinegar just seems to give the right balancing touch.

ABOUT OUR HERBS...

The herbs used in our vinegars are organically grown in our gardens and are hand picked and selected. We carefully blend each vinegar and age it for 4-6 weeks to achieve an intense, rich flavor.

These are some of the vinegars I use in combination with my herbs:

BALSAMIC VINEGAR is noted for its brown color, intense fruity aroma and exquisite sweet and sour flavor. Some common uses are sprinkling it on fresh strawberries, adding it to sparkling mineral water to make a beverage or using it as an ingredient in salad dressings and marinades for steamed or roasted vegetables or seafood.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR is made from whole apples ground into pulp. It is used in cooking, salad dressings, pickling, any dish calling for vinegar. It has a fruity flavor and is noted for the medicinal claims made for it, including its ability to maintain general good health, reduce cholesterol levels, aid in digestion, and promote weight loss. It contains more than 30 nutrients, a dozen minerals, over half a dozen vitamins and essential acids and several enzymes.

RED (Ruby) or BLUSH WINE VINEGARS are the best vinegars for flavoring. The blush is used for the lighter herbs and seasonings and the red for the more robust flavors. When cooking, the rich depth of flavor of red wine vinegar is well matched with dark meats and marinades, and is also good in salad dressings. The more mellow flavor of blush wine vinegar is excellent with fish and light meats.

If you have never used herb vinegars, there is unlimited culinary pleasure in store for you. Click here for just a few of my favorite recipes
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