Hibiscus infused Vinegar

Kitty FloridoFebruary 12, 2014

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Remember that we mentioned a surprise for one of our fans? Well, Sandy wrote us a comment in out Hibiscus Syrup, asking if we ever thought about making our own Hibiscus infused Vinegar. We went online looking for recipes, but we didn’t find one that we liked. Often they had some additional seasonings, and we love hibiscus as it is.

In case you didn’t know, herb, flowers and fruit infused vinegars are both budget friendly and easy to make. And this infusion in particular gives your salad a bold and fresh flavor. Don’t let the word infusion scare you. This basically means get the vinegar hot but not yet simmering, and pour it over dried hibiscus flowers. Let sit until room temperature, then place in the fridge for an extra day… and you’re set! Next thing you need, is a sterilized bottle and you’re done.

We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we are!

Kitty

Roselle infused Vinegar

A Foodies’ Kitchen original recipe
Makes 1 cup of vinegar

Ingredients:
½ cup dried hibiscus flowers
1 cup white wine or Champagne vinegar

Directions:

Have ready a clean, large nonreactive bowl (glass or porcelain works great).
In a stainless steal saucepan over low heat, warm the vinegar until hot but not yet simmering; do not let it boil. Remove from the heat.
Place the dry hibiscus flowers in the bowl. Pour in the hot vinegar. Set aside to cool.
After it has cooled, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a day or two (tops). Some recipes suggest you leave it for weeks, but the hibiscus flavor can get too strong.
After having the vinegar sit in the fridge, have ready hot, sterilized bottle (boiling it in water for 10 minutes).
Strain the vinegar through a fine-mesh sieve lined with two coffee filters. Using a funnel, pour the filtered vinegar into the bottle. Cover tightly and store in the fridge for up to 6 months.

Have you made this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture with the hashtag #thefoodieskitchen!

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This post is also available in / Esta entrada también está disponible en ESPAÑOL (SPANISH)

Comments (11)

Sandy Troy Pennington
May 9, 2014 at 9:50 pm
It is that time of year again.. Roselle harvest is getting close.
– Thanks for creating the Roselle vinegar recipe .. (I’m the Sandy that emailed you about Roselle vinegar). I like your instructions. Also I am intrigued by the comment that if you left it for many weeks Roselle gets too ‘strong’ (yes, for Blackberry vinegar I do leave it weeks).
– Did you try a batch leaving it for weeks? What did you learn about the strength? What was wrong with the strength? very curious?
– I will be using FRESH Roselle from my garden this season. 1/2 cup dried Roselle calyx is probably 1 to 2 cups fresh.. I am thinking.
– Also thinking the strained calyxs rather than throwing them out.. might be used still… in jam or cold drink (since calyx has only steeped for two day (max) they may some or much flavor in them)??? but will have a vinegar flavor… may not be good?? will have to experiment. ????
Thanks so much… Sandy
Kitty

May 13, 2014 at 3:28 pm
Hi Sandy! Thanks so much for the comment. We’re glad you like our recipe and it’s instructions.
1. We found that since hibiscus flowers are already tart and have a strong flavor, leaving the flowers sit in the vinegar for a couple of days made it strong enough or us, but if you want to try a longer period of soaking time, let us know how it goes! We like the tangy from the vinegar+hibiscus, but it was too overpowering in a salad.
2. We get our hibiscus flowers already dehydrated, so I’d try with 1 ½ to 2 cups as you suggest.
3. The strained calyxes taste like vinegar. :) So I strongly suggest not using it in a sweet jam. Maybe a savory one, to use in sandwiches?
Sandy Troy Pennington
May 13, 2014 at 3:46 pm
Kitty, Thanks for answers to my questions and for your suggestions. By planting six Roselle’s this year we are hoping for a jam and vinegar harvest that will last us 12 months. For jam I found freezing the jam gives a very fresh taste. Again thanks for the vinegar recipe. Warmest Regards
Kitty

May 13, 2014 at 5:32 pm
We’re glad to help. Let us know what you end up doing! :)
joven Escora
February 20, 2015 at 12:55 am
is jam made of roselle plant already out in the market?
Kitty

February 20, 2015 at 8:40 am
Hi! Yes, you need to buy dried out roselle/hibiscus flowers and use those for cooking.

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Hibiscus infused Vinegar