WILD GARLIC INFUSED VINEGAR

So I am still harnessing the awesome power of the mighty wild garlic, and have now moved on to the beautiful wee star shaped and delicious flowers!

I generally ferment the unopened flower buds and also the wee seeds, after the flowers have finished, but the actually flowers are a bit delicate and don't think would stand up to fermenting!

So other ways to preserve nature's bounty are drying, freezing or making a tincture in alcohol or an infused vinegar!

My most knowledgeable friend Viola @violasampson_microbiome_cranio inspired me with her recent post on wild garlic flowers to try an infused vinegar.

Now vinegar has many benefits, especially raw, organic apple cider vinegar, with the mother!
It can help to moderate high blood pressure, improve skin tone, prevent or treat osteoporosis, lower cholesterol and improve metabolic function.

In fact Hippocrates, the father of medicine, is said to have used only two remedies, vinegar and honey!

Herbs/wild plants/flowers and vinegar are an excellent combination, the vinegar extracts the minerals & vitamins, making them available to the body.

Minerals are important for bone health, nerves, heart & blood vessels, immune system and our hormones, so adding vinegar to food, frees up the minerals!

So to make my infused vinegar, I simply filled a glass jar with my flowers, which I left to dry overnight. I removed the stalks & just used the flowers. I squashed them down tightly to make sure my jar was full of wild garlicky goodness.

I poured my room temp vinegar into the jar to the top, added a glass fermentation weight to keep the flowers submerged, then covered it with a couple of layers of greaseproof paper secured with a rubber band.

Metal lids tend to rust, which is why I used greaseproof paper instead.
Leave to infuse for around 2 weeks at room temp, out of direct sunlight, then strain it, bottle it and use it! 

You can also use white wine vinegar or cider vinegar this but don't use anything too harsh, which would overpower the delicate flavour of the flowers.

Regular use of infused vinegars boosts the nutrient content of your diet with very little effort, and they cost next to nothing to make!

Here are some ways to use them;

• pour a spoonful on beans and grains as a condiment
• use them in salad dressings
• add them to cooked greens
• season stir fries with them
• give them as a gift

I also made a delicious magnolia infused vinegar which tastes floral with a wee gingery kick and will be perfect diluted with sparkling water for a wee pick me up!

I will be making herb infused vinegars over the summer months to preserve my lovely herbs at their best!


Natures bounty knows no bounds!!