Assuming you use a 5% vinegar, it should be safe to steep the pulp for as long as a month with no problems. A 2-1 ratio of vinegar to fruit is good.

After a week, if you wish, you can strain out the original pulp and add fresh for another week of steeping and a more intense flavor. You can repeat this process. Alternatively, just leave in the original pulp.

The vinegar mellows over time. When you feel it's reached the desirable point, strain out the pulp, add a bit of sugar or honey, if desired, and bring to the simmer. Simmer about 3 minutes. Do not boil. If there's foam, skim it off.

Once the vinegar has cooled, pour into a clean bottle and cap or cork. Because I often have different fruit vinegars, I label. It can be hard to tell a blackberry from a boysenberry if I'm just looking at it.

You can leave the vinegar safely at room temperature, but I refrigerate for better quality and longer life.

Here's a really excellent document from the National Center for Home Food Preservation that goes into more detail about making and storing vinegars.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Making Flavored Vinegars

Thanks Carol! That's exactly what I needed.

Melissa

Thanks Carol -

Great recipes - I saved it.

Somehow I've never thought about adding fruit or berries to vinegar, but that is a great idea. I am really pleased with the way my other wine vinegars turned out. Hopefully, next year, I will be able to make dilly beans with some white wine vinegar that I have, if there is any left.

Bejay

Recently read a caution about flavored vinegars - short shelf life and needing to be refrigerated. Don't like to be a downer, but I think you might want to check with the extension office.

gran2, the University of Georgia link provided speaks to precisely those issues. If sanitary procedures are followed and the herbs and fruits used are of the freshest quality, then out-of-the-refrigerator storage (in a cool place, not next to the range) is acceptable. However, while such vinegars don't "need" to be refrigerated, they will retain their quality longer if they are.

Also, the vinegar is strained and any chunks of vegetable or fruit infused in the vinegar are removed.

If these steps are followed, the greatest risk would be the possibility of mold or fermentation, and those are easily discernable.

Infused oils are far more problematic than vinegars.

Carol

Thanks Carol, that's reassuring. I've wanted to try some of the vinegars. Is there a difference between herbal and fruit? You don't seal these, do you, just put a cork in it after an infusion of hot vinegar? What's the storage limit, time-wise?

Well, my experience with herbal vinegars has been less satisfactory than with fruit. The only reason for that was I found with some fresh herbs it was really difficult to get the sprigs totally "clean", something I would discover later when the vinegar turned out cloudy or off-flavor. I'm beginning to think with tarragon, for instance, I might do a 10 or 15-second blanch for just that reason and see how it works.

But the procedures for herbal and fruit vinegars are basically the same. The University of Georgia link is very helpful, but one of the best sources I've found is Carol Costenbader's "Big Book of Preserving the Harvest." She has a great section on infused vinegars and some of the best information generally on blanching, freezing of herbs, drying, etc. which is more complete than many canning books. In the vinegar section she covers methods, matches herbs and fruits to specific types of vinegar and provides recipes for spiced vinegars, amongst others.

No, vinegars don't need to be sealed. I usually just cork and sometimes I save small bottles with lids (condiments, salad dressings, etc.) and use those.

Costenbader also says refrigeration is unnecessary but recommends a dark, cool area if you're not refrigerating to optimize the life. Light is as damaging as heat.

The storage limit mentioned in most sources is 3-6 months, but I've kept fruit vinegars in the fridge for a year without noticing any reduction in quality, so that timeframe must be very conservative.

Carol