Red Wine Vinegar

Name: Red Wine Vinegar
Ingredients: 2 cups red wine to begin, plus 7 1/2 cups more over the next few weeks; 1 cup water filtered; 8 ounces vinegar jar of purchased, mother

3 ingredients

8 steps

Ingredients

2 cups red wine to begin, plus 7 1/2 cups more over the next few weeks
1 cup water filtered
8 ounces vinegar jar of purchased, mother

Directions

1

Add 2 cups of good red wine and 1 cup of filtered water to the crock, then add the mother.
2

Cover the crock with a double layer of cheesecloth and fasten with a rubber band.
3

Set the crock in a warm (70° to 90°), dark spot and let stand for 1 1/2 weeks.
4

Add red wine to the crock in three 2 1/2-cup batches over the next 1 1/2 weeks; the crock should then be two-thirds full.
5

Once a thin veil has formed on the surface, add the wine through the tube of the bulb baster tucked under the edge of the veil.
6

Let the crock stand for a total of 10 weeks. Check periodically: If your vinegar ever begins to smell like furniture polish, discard it, wash the crock and start over.
7

Bottle the vinegar when it smells sharp and crisp: Strain it into sterile bottles through a plastic funnel lines with a paper coffee filter. (If you plan to start the process over, leave 2 cups vinegar in the crock and just add wine and water.)
8

The vinegar will mellow in the bottle and improve with age, but if you plan to keep it more than 4 months, pasteurize it: Heat the vinegar to 155° in a stainless steel saucepan and hold it there for 30 minutes. Store the vinegar in sterilized, well-sealed bottles in a cool, dry place. Use homemade vingear for dressings and sauces and as a seasoning; never use it for pickling.