Standard Spiced Vinegar

It is useful to make this in advance especially if you are going to be preparing Pickled Red Cabbage, Crisp Pickled Shallots or onions where you will need a cold spiced vinegar.  It keeps well in bottles on the pantry floor.

Ingredients:

25g/1 oz peppercorns
7g/1/2 oz blade of mace
7g/1/2 oz cloves
6 bay leaves
15g/1/2 oz bruised root ginger
2 teaspoons of mustard seeds
7g/1/4 oz whole allspice
7g/1/4oz stick of cinnamon
4 chillis crushed
1 tablespoon of salt
A generous litre/2 pints of malt vinegar

I have always been taught to use whole spices when preparing spiced vinegar for pickles as ground spices can leave the vinegar cloudy. I also tie all my spices into muslin and then pop the bag into the vinegar boil for about three minutes and then leave the spice bag to soak until the vinegar is cold.  Then remove the spice bag squeezing out any vinegar.  Either bottle in sterilised bottles and seal and pop into the pantry or use once it is cold.

You can use the vinegar hot but this will produce a softer less crisp pickle.

If vinegar is boiled for long it evaporates and so you end up with less vinegar therefore keep the boiling time short.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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