Nov 30, 2020

Homemade Pear Vinegar

Use this sweet, tart pear vinegar recipe when making a lovely pear vinaigrette.

I was surprised to discover many people I know don't like pears. Weather it's the graininess of their flesh when raw, or some other factor I'm not aware of, pears don't seem to have too many fans. For a fruit loaded with nutrients, that's a shame. And there are so many ways to enjoy them, including as a vinegar.

Vinegars are quiet easy to make, but like everything else yummy, they take time. Fruit vinegar can take anywhere from 8 weeks and longer. However, to enjoy vinegar made from the ripest, sweetest fruits, it's worth the wait.

I only started making my own vinegars recently, and I'm sad I didn't start sooner. Having something you made from scratch, pure and free of additives, is not just satisfying, it's reassuring. I know exactly what is in it and how it was made.

I use this vinegar to make my favourite pear vinaigrette, which pairs perfectly with a salad topped with candied pecans and stilton. A bottle of homemade vinegar also makes a great gift for friends and family.

TIP: Use any fruit, cores, skins and all, to make homemade fruit vinegar. You can even use canned fruit packed in juice concentrate. To speed up the process, you could also add a natural sweetener.

TIP: Over time, a mother might begin to regrow in the bottom of the final bottles. This is perfectly fine. If you keep it you can use it to begin your next batch of fruit vinegar.

Ingredients

(Makes 36 servings | Serving size = 1/4 cup)

8 - 10 ripe pears, chopped
1 cup apple cider vinegar with the mother
8 cups distilled water

Directions

Wash a 1-gallon jar or glass container well with hot water. Add all of the ingredients.

Cover the top with a piece of muslin cloth and secure with an elastic band. Do not put a lid on the jar. The fermenting process needs airflow.

Place in a dimly lit spot where it isn't too cold and where it won't be disturbed. Over several weeks a mother will develop. It will look like a big slimy, gelatinous mass. This is what is converting the sugar in the pears into vinegar.

Around the 8-week mark, sample your vinegar to see if it's tart enough. If not, allow it to continue fermenting. If it tastes vinegary, strain it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into another clean jar or container. Seal it with a lid and let it sit for a 4-week rest period.

After the rest period, strain the vinegar again and store it in the bottles in which you want to keep the final product. Use as needed.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: