Victorian American Raspberry Vinegar
A cold-steep method from American household manuscripts of the 1840s to 1890s. Richer and more deeply flavoured than shortcuts, because the same vinegar passes through two batches of fruit. Dilute with cold or sparkling water to serve. Also excellent over vanilla ice cream or in a vinaigrette
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh raspberries divided into two equal portions
- 2 cups white wine vinegar
- 2 cups granulated sugar approximately -- see notes
- Cold or sparkling water to serve
Instructions
First Steep
- Place 2 cups of raspberries in a glass or ceramic bowl. Pour the vinegar over the fruit. Stir gently to bruise the berries slightly. Cover and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. Do not squeeze or crush the fruit -- just let it steep.
Strain and steep again
- After 24 hours, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a second bowl, pressing gently to extract the juice. Discard the spent berries. Pour the strained liquid over the second portion of fresh raspberries (the remaining 2 cups). Cover and steep for another 24 hours.
Final strain
- Strain the liquid a second time through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing well. You should have roughly 2 cups of deep red, intensely flavoured liquid. Discard the spent fruit.
Cook with sugar
- Measure your strained liquid. Add an equal volume of sugar -- so 2 cups of juice gets 2 cups of sugar. Pour into a saucepan, stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, skimming any foam. The syrup will reduce slightly and thicken.
- Bottle and store
- Remove from heat and cool completely. Pour into clean glass bottles or jars. Seal and refrigerate. Keeps for up to 3 months.
To serve as a drink
- Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of syrup with cold or sparkling water in a tall glass over ice. Victorian recipes suggest roughly 1 part syrup to 4 parts water, but adjust to taste.