Homemade Spiced Blackcurrant Vinegar

When you have a glut of blackcurrants you make everything from jam to booze. I make blackcurrant vinegar as well. This is a great wee addition to your larder and is perfect for adding a rich fruity zing to your cooking.

I have been clearing the berry bushes and making the most of every last currant and berry out there. For someone who really takes little or no care of these bushes I have been blessed by a wonderful abundance of fruit this summer.

So it is with a touch of sadness that I clamber about in the fruit patch wearing mother nature’s lipstick (the tell tale sign of the berry nibbler!). Finally picking the very last of this year’s harvest to make my blackcurrant vinegar.

Blackcurrant bounty

Blackcurrants in all their glistening glory are on the menu today. We have gathered over 6 kilos of them this summer from the tangles in the garden and made everything from cassis to fruit cheese and jelly. I have resisted basic blackcurrant jam on the basis of a long seated angst about the stuff.

Mum was a great jam maker and blackcurrant was always her favourite. She made the huge mistake of telling us kids that it was ‘Good For You’ and always spooning it into us whenever we had a cold. Like most children the whole concept of anything that was Good For You meant boring and medicine and certainly not anything fun and tasty.

To this day blackcurrant jam just leaves me cold, however I’m quite prepared to enjoy these gorgeous little fruit jewels in many other ways.

Fruit Vinegars

Infused vinegars are wonderful. They take vinegar itself to a new level. Actually they are great for the lazy cook as they mean you can add a zing of flavour to a dish oh so easily with just a splash of fruit vinegar.

How to use blackcurrant vinegar

I use this fruit vinegar on salads which have a good strong flavour in their own right.

Also good on roasting veggies like carrots and parsnips.

You can even use this blackcurrant infused vinegar as a tangy drink ; just add a splash to soda water and ice, cheers!

How to make blackcurrant vinegar

First gather your blackcurrants. Then do the boring bit which is removing all the little stalks. Better still, get a child to do this for you. They love getting all messy. Just remember you will have to clean up the kitchen afterwards and it is bound to look like some sort of hellish crime scene with red juice dripping everywhere.

There is a bit of patience involved here. You want to let them sit in a jar with the cider vinegar and a cinnamon stick for a week before you boil them up with sugar.

How long will fruit infused vinegar keep?

This blackcurrant vinegar will keep for up to a year in a dark cupboard. It makes a great foodie gift too.

I’ve loved these blackcurrants for their tart sweetness. Almost a contradiction in terms but one that fairly dances on the taste buds nevertheless. In this recipe below for Blackcurrant Vinegar I’m focusing on the tart savouriness of the fruit and this vinegar really rocks on strong leaf salads and drizzled on roasted veggies.

Looking for more ways to use blackcurrants? Then here are a few more blackcurrant recipes for you to try;

Blackcurrant Vodka

Homemade Cassis

Blackcurrant Sorbet

Blackcurrant Salsa

Blackcurrant and Rosemary Fruit Cheese

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.