Prudent Pantry: Blueberry Vinegar

With such an abundant crop of blueberries this year I’ve been looking for new ways to use the blueberries.

We’ve got frozen blueberries in the freezer, blueberry muffins in the freezer, we’ve enjoyed blueberry crisp, and blueberry lemon bread not to mention the delicious blueberry lime jam in the pantry. Now to try something new – Blueberry Basil Vinegar!

I found this recipe in my Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. I decided to halve the amount, as I didn’t really need to make ten 4-ounce bottles. It was suggested to use this robust vinegar to make a delicious salad dressing that is lower in fat and calories than a store bought version.

Blueberry Basil Vinegar

2 cups blueberries
2 cups white wine vinegar
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, crushed
Grated zest of ½ lemon

In a large glass bowl, combine blueberries and 1 cup of the vinegar. Using a potato masher, lightly crush the blueberries.

Add remaining 1 cup of vinegar, the crushed basil and the lemon zest and stir to combine. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand in a dark, cool place for up to 4 weeks, stirring every 2-3 days. Taste weekly until the desired strength is achieved.

Stay tuned, I will do a follow up in couple of weeks and let you know how this turned out! Here is what I will do next. Prepare your caner, jars and lids. Line a strainer with several layers of cheesecloth and place over a large stainless steel saucepan. Strain the vinegar without squeezing the cheesecloth. Place the saucepan over medium heat and heat the vinegar to 180 degrees F.

Ladle the hot vinegar into hot jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rim, center lid on jar and screw down until tight. Place the jars in your water bath canner; make sure they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove caner lid. Wait ten minutes and removes jars, cool and store. This would make a perfect gift to give at Christmas time along with the following recipe.

To make a Blueberry Basil Dressing –

In a blender combine:

1 clove of garlic
1 Tbsp fresh basil
2 Tbsp Blueberry-Basil Vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp of Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar.
The zest of ½ lemon

Process until smooth and drizzle over your greens for a light and healthy salad.

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