Strawberry and Basil Vinegar

You can buy all sorts of infused vinegars these days. My homemade strawberry and basil vinegar is the true taste of summer and will brighten up any salad whatever the weather!

It’s summer, it’s Scotland and of course it’s bloody raining (yet again). Quite frankly I (along with the rest of the population here) am sick and tired of it. Grey skies and winter woolies do not a summer make.

Fabulous summer goodies like strawberries and basil do though. So here is my strawberry and basil vinegar to cheer up all those in the rain, and add even more sunshine to those lucky enough to live elsewhere!

Kitchen crafting

I’ve been getting back into my kitchen crafting again of late. In fact the kitchen has become a bit of an assault course to anyone dropping in.

There are bottles and jars everywhere, sticky patches on the floor no matter how many times I get the mop out and the little compost bin constantly groaning under the weight of fruit and veggie ends and the odd disaster too.

At least it is warm in here with the Aga blasting out heat as yet more jams and chutneys bubble away sending clouds of mouth-watering scents around the house.

Today’s recipe for strawberry and basil vinegar doesn’t need any cooking at all. It is simplicity itself and is really just a case of bringing together fabulous flavours and letting old mother time do the work for you.

Ingredients for strawberry and basil vinegar

There are only 3 ingredients here – strawberries, basil leaves and vinegar.

Strawberries are everywhere just now, even the crop in my garden are doing well and when you pop into the shops the shelves are packed with them at low, low prices.

Now is the time to grab a bargain and get using these gorgeous beauties to savour over the winter months when those really tasty berries of summer are but a memory.

Basil

Basil makes a great dancing partner for strawberries, the gentle peppery taste lists their sweetness to new levels and allows their true flavour to really shine. 

I’ve used this combo in jam and I also sprinkle basil-infused sugar on a bowl of strawberries to make a quick dessert for any day of the week.

Bringing them together in a vinegar gives you something that can be used both on savoury salads (especially one with chicken) and on simple fruit based salads too.

How to make strawberry and basil vinegar

The old fashioned way

I’ve used the old-fashioned jar method here which just means that you want to fill your jar with about a cup of fresh strawberries that have been rinsed and hulled and chopped up a little with a handful of fresh basil leaves lightly crushed to release their flavourful oils and two cups of white wine vinegar.

All you do then is pop on the lid and set it aside in a cool dark cupboard for a week to let those flavours mingle and blend into a tasty treat.

Drain this through a sieve lined with a double layer of either kitchen roll or muslin and pour the resulting pink perfection into a sterilised bottle.

No time, heat it up!

You can do this recipe much quicker if you really don’t have the time to wait a week by simply heating the vinegar (do not boil) and pouring it over the other ingredients in a jug.

Leave for 30 minutes and then drain. Yes it’s quick but I far prefer the old-fashioned way every time.

How long will this infused vinegar keep?

This strawberry and basil vinegar will keep for up to a year in a cool dark place.

How to use strawberry and basil vinegar

Use this vinegar just as you would a white wine vinegar in a salad dressing.

It is also great on a fruit salad too as it really brings out the taste of the berries and other fruits.

You can also use this delightful vinegar as a drink. It’s just the same as an old fashioned herbal shrub. Just mix with chilled sparkling water for a super tasty summer cooler. Cheers!

Looking for more strawberry recipes to make the most of the summer? Then check these out;

Easy homemade Strawberry Curd

Strawberry and Elderflower Jam

Strawberry and Salmon Salad with Spinach and Walnuts

Strawberry Sage and Red Wine Jam

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, and Pinterest and sign up for my newsletter too of course.

PS check out my Top 10 Strawberry Recipes for even more summery ideas.