Old School – Self Reliance 101

Ah! This is the Damsel’s kind of project. Easy, quick, big payoff.

Making herbal vinegar is as easy as kindergarten.

It’s up to you which kind of herbs to use. What herbs do you love? Start there. The Damsel loves sage, and has a boatload of it, so there you have it.

Take fresh, washed herbs. Tear large leaves into pieces–this gets more herbal goodness into the vinegar. Fill a container (such as a glass jar) to the top. Any size jar is fine, from tiny to large–just choose according to how many herbs you have.  Smell your fingers. Mmmm.

Pour apple cider vinegar over the herbs, filling the container to the brim. Stir or poke it a bit to make sure there are no hidden air pockets, and add more vinegar if necessary.

Screw on the lid. If it’s metal, first place a sandwich baggie, or something similar, over the top and then put on the lid. Metal and vinegar just don’t get along. Divide and conquer!

Wait. In about six weeks, the vinegar is ready to use. You can strain it out into something else, or use it right from the jar you made it in. You can use it any way you’d use flavored vinegar–for salads, bread dipping, or even for making your own mayonnaise.

Pour this into one of those fancy little bottles like they sell at Hobby Lobby, and you’ve got a simple, cheap, yet classy gift.

You could even be oh-so-brave and combine different types herbs. Or even add cloves of garlic. Do you dare?