herbs

[Guest guest]

by Renee Shepherd

 

One of the most satisfying ways

of extending the pleasures of

gardening throughout the year is

making gifts from your herb

garden for family and friends.

Holiday presents you've made

are always appreciated in a

special way and there is great

pleasure in sharing the summer's

labor with those you care about.

Here are some of my favorite

home-crafted garden gifts. All

are easy and fun to make with the

bounty from your kitchen herb

garden.

 

Berry, Herb or Chile

Vinegars

Flavored vinegars have lots of

uses. Combine them in a ratio of

one part vinegar to 3 parts fruity

extra-virgin olive oil for delicate

vinaigrettes to toss with salad

greens. Use them to deglaze the

pan when you sauté chicken

breasts, pork chops or fish

fillets. Use them in marinades

and sweet and sour sauces. Add

a spoonful to vegetable stews or

cooked dried beans to add a nice

flavor boost. Be careful with

chile vinegars though -- they can

be really hot and spicy.

 

Making berry, herb or chili

vinegars is a simple process, but

you need to start about 2-3

weeks before bottling to give

flavors time to blend. Be sure to

assemble a collection of pretty

decorative bottles in advance to

hold the finished product.

 

Begin with a large non-metal container. (I use a clean plastic

bucket or large glass jars.) Fill half full with washed and

dried

herb leaves, chiles or berries. Flavorful herbs for vinegar are

all varieties of basil, lemon thyme, dill, tarragon or

nasturtium

leaves and flowers. For berry vinegars, use fresh raspberries

or blackberries. Crush the leaves or berries slightly using the

bottom of a glass jar. To make hot chile vinegar, use whole

jalapeno, serrano or cayenne chiles.

 

Heat just to boiling enough plain (unseasoned) rice wine

vinegar (my first choice), white wine vinegar, or plain

distilled

vinegar to fill up the container. Pour the heated vinegar

over the

herbs, chiles or berries to fill the container. Seal with a

cover

or several layers of plastic wrap held in place with rubber

bands or string. (Don't use metal lids or foil -- they'll

discolor.)

Put the mixture in a cool, dark place for two or three weeks.

The flavors and colors of the herbs, chiles or berries will

transfer over to the vinegar in this time. When you are ready to

bottle the vinegar, gather together the bottles you plan to

use as

gift containers. Strain the finished herb vinegar through

several

layers of cheesecloth. Put a fresh herb sprig, a few fresh or

dried chiles, or a big handful of fresh berries in each gift

jar.

Pour enough of the strained vinegar to fill up the bottle, and

seal to finish with caps or corks and your own labels.