Blackcurrant Vinegar: Capture the Flavour of Summer
Fruit vinegars make a wonderful addition to many dishes. Vinegar captures the essence of the fruit beautifully reminding us of the season in which it was harvested. This blackcurrant vinegar gives a flavoursome tang to sauces, salads and desserts. It also makes a refreshing drink diluted in water.
Blackcurrant Vinegar
If you think it sounds a bit daunting to make your own fruit vinegar, don’t be put off. It’s super easy to prepare and very fast too – a mere matter of minutes. All you need to do is place everything in a sterilised jar then give it a good shake.
Despite the ease of making though, this recipe is not a quick fix. You’ll need to leave the fruit to macerate for a good month and the longer you can leave it, the better. I’ve given the recipe for blackcurrant vinegar below, but you could use other fruit instead. Raspberries and plums both make delicious fruit vinegars.
You may want to increase or decrease the sugar slightly depending on how sweet the fruit you’re using is. It might also be nice to vary the added flavouring ingredients. I’ve used cinnamon here, but other spices or herbs, such as fresh mint, work well. If you use fresh herbs, make sure they are clean and dry before adding to the vinegar.
Some fruit might benefit from filtering through a muslin cloth or jelly bag rather than a fine sieve. You’ll be able to tell from the state of the jar’s contents after a month.
Ensure you pour the blackcurrant vinegar into well sealed sterilised bottles. If you then store them in a cool dark place, the vinegar should last at least a year. Once you’ve opened a bottle, it’s best to store it in the fridge.
What Do You Use Blackcurrant Vinegar For?
You can use this blackcurrant vinegar for pretty much any recipe you’d use a fruit vinegar in. I use it for salad dressing and in sauces mostly. It goes particularly well with beetroot however. So I add it to both my spiced pickled beetroot and the best beetroot chutney I’ve yet tasted.
A little poured over simple vanilla ice-cream gives a real wow factor and if you mix it with water, it makes a refreshing drink. It works an absolute treat in this braised red cabbage recipe too.
Other Flavoured Vinegar Recipes You Might Like
- Pickled cherries and cherry vinegar – via Tin and Thyme
- Elderflower vinegar – via The Ordinary Cook
- Spiced chocolate balsamic vinegar – via Tin and Thyme
- Strawberry balsamic vinegar – via United Cakedom
For more blackcurrant recipes take a look at the post for all the blackcurrant recipes you’ll ever need. You can also find several inspiring recipes via my Blackcurrant Pinterest board.
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Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this blackcurrant vinegar recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Blackcurrant Vinegar. PIN IT.
Blackcurrant Vinegar – The Recipe
Blackcurrant Vinegar
Ingredients
- 250 ml cabernet sauvignon red wine vinegar
- 200 g blackcurrants
- 100 g golden granulated sugar
- ½ cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a sealed glass jar and give a good shake. Make sure the jar doesn't have a corrosive lid.
- Leave to macerate for a month or more, shaking every other day.
- Drain the liquid through a fine sieve and pour into sterilised bottles.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Linkies
I’m sending this blackcurrant vinegar off to Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary for the No Waste Food Challenge. My mother kindly picked these blackcurrants for my birthday. I was unable to use them quite as soon as I’d have liked and definitely didn’t want them going to waste. Turned out, this five minute fruit vinegar was the ideal solution.
This blackcurrant recipe is also going to Ren Behan for Simple and in Season and even though blackcurrants are now over, blackberries could be used instead.
I follow a keto way of eating to control/reverse diabetes. Is it possible to use a alternative sweetener , such as erythritol or allulose instead of the sugar?
I have a lot of blackcurrants to be harvested and looking for new recipes. Also plan to make a creme de cassis.
The thing about sugar is that it helps to preserve the vinegar, or cassis for that matter. I use xylitol sometimes in baking, but I don’t know enough about its properties to use in this vinegar. I’m sure it would work in terms of flavour, just not sure how long it would last. Would love to hear back from you if you find something that works.
I have a post on All The Blackcurrant Recipes You’ll Ever Need, which might be useful. I’m sure you could substitute an alternative sweetener for some of those recipes.
Careful with Erythritol. Not necessarily safe…
Hi Ross, thanks for the info on erythritol being a possible stroke risk. I think the general consensus is to try and wean ourselves off ultra sweet food and to use less of any sort of sweetener.
This sounds absolutely heavenly! Thank you for sharing with the No Waste Food Challenge!
Thanks Elizabeth, I’ve mostly been using it with beetroot – wonderful stuff.
I must admit – I’ve never tried fruity vinegar and I’m really tempted now especially when it’s blackcurrant (one of my favourite fruits!)
Something for you to try then Sylvia, it’s quite a versatile vinegar. I’ve been using it with beetroot recently and it’s fabulous.
I usually make raspberry vinegar with balsamic vinegar which is delicious poured over ice cream. I might give this a go though as this year I have more blackcurrants in the freezer than raspberries! #NoWasteFoodChallenge
Ah, that’s interesting Rosie. I’ve not come across fruit balsamic vinegars before, though I have used it to make a chocolate one. I’ve not made this vinegar very sweet, but you could always add more sugar if you find it too sour.
Yum! Would never have thought of using a fruit vinegar on ice cream, or with water as a drink 🙂
Janie x
When it’s hot, water and vinegar is one of the most refreshing drinks I know – as long as you only add a tiny bit of course 😉
Brilliantly simple Choclette. Such a beautiful colour too. Can you use any fruit to vinegarise?
I don’t see why not Kate, raspberries are a classic, but I’ve seen strawberry and blackberry vinegars around and I’ve made an excellent plum vinegar with plums and star anise.
I made blackberry vinegar last year, it really bring out the flavour of a salad.
Blackberry vinegar sounds like a good one Heidi. If I can manage to get enough blackberries, I might try it, otherwise will have to wait for next year.
That is brilliant, so easy to do. I love the raspberry vinegar I got at the BBC Good Food Show and only just opened a couple of weeks ago. I might make some with blackberries, as they will start to be ready soon. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Mmmmm blackberries, I bet they would be good too Janice. Hoping to go blackberrying sometime this weekend – assuming the rain hasn’t rotted them all.
The sound of making a homemade vinegar is quite interesting and must be fun too. I’d really like to try making it someday 🙂
Thanks very much for sharing!
Thanks Madiha. I hope you get to try it one day soon 🙂
I adore fruity vinegar too. This would make a great holiday gift.
Thanks Angie. It would make a great gift and I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of it myself.
Never tried blackcurrant vinegar before! Now I just have to!
Haha, thanks Levan. Inspiring people with something they hadn’t thought of is just what I love to do.
Love this. Such a great idea.
Well that was short and sweet Dom – or should I say tart and sweet 😉
My sister in law gave me one made with raspberries, but I have to admit the zingy aspect of blackcurrants appeals and wow, just look at the colour. Anyone who is bestowed that bottle of loveliness would be most lucky.
Thanks Shaheen. I’m now rather wishing I’d made more of it so I could bestow bottles on friends and family – I didn’t really think of that at the time.
I can imagine how flavourful it must be … fruits and cinnamon combo !
Thanks Shobha, cinnamon does have a great affinity with most fruits, I find.
What a lovely idea, Choclette! This is also a great foodie gift. 🙂
Thanks Sina. You’re right, the colour is great and tied up with a tag and ribbon it would look great.
That sounds lovely!
Thanks Anne. it’s so easy to do, but so worthwhile.
I would love to make my own vinegar for gifts and now I know how – thanks so much!
Thanks Lucy, glad to have helped 🙂
lovely, I’ve never tried making my own vinegar, but i love vinegar so will give it a go!
If you love vinegar Roz, it sounds like you need to experiment with making your own flavoured ones 😉
I love the idea of making my own flavoured vinegars! Sounds interesting. Bet it tastes amazing on a lovely fresh salad 🙂
Delicious indeed Nadia and of course you don’t have to add the sugar if you’re happy with a really tart vinegar.
WOW – I love this. Simple and amazing. It would make such a great foodie gift 🙂
Thanks Kate. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of gifts for you are surely right 🙂