all photos courtesy Pixabay photos

I have received requests from @riverflows and @mountainjewel for a recipe for making my homemade vinegars. So in order to honour their requests, here are the recipes! Enjoy!

Mango Vinegar

This is one of my favourites, perhaps because I love mangoes so much. This is such an easy recipe, I almost feel like I am cheating when I make it.

It takes about 15 minutes to make and gives you about 16 servings.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 ripe mango peeled and chopped
• 2 cups organic rice wine vinegar ( or your preference)

How to do it:

Place the chopped mangoes in a 2-quart clean glass jar. In a saucepan, heat the vinegar until simmering. Don’t boil.

Pour the hot vinegar over the mangoes in the jar. When the jar has cooled, cover the jar with 2 layers of plastic wrap and screw on a jar lid.

Put the jar in a cool, dark, dry place and let it sit for about 2 weeks. Gently shake the jar every few days to mix the mangoes and the vinegar.

You may begin tasting the vinegar after the 2 weeks. It can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to develop the flavour you like.

When it's reached the flavour you like, strain the vinegar through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Let the vinegar sit over night covered to let any sediment to settle to the bottom.

Strain the vinegar again to remove any remains of sediment. Wash your bottle with warm, soapy water and fill it with boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Fill with the vinegar, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace. Then seal it up with a new cork or screw cap.

The next recipe is for Banana vinegar and is also ridiculously easy to do. The first time I had this was when living in Costa Rica. My neighbour made bottles of this every year and gave them away as gifts. So without further adieu...

Banana Vinegar

The bananas must be ripe, ideally overripe. No green, only very yellow with some brown spots. If the bananas are brown and mushy they are perfect. About 2 cups of peeled and cut bananas will yield 1 cup of the yummiest vinegar.

What you will need:

• Two bunches of very ripe bananas
• And plenty of patience (3-6 months)

Peel your bananas. Don’t forget to compost the skins or feed them to your rose bushes.

Mash with a fork or you can puree in a blender. Put The mash in a glass jar making sure that is it filled about ¾ of the way.

Cover jar with cheesecloth with elastic band to hold it in place. It is best to put the jar in a large bowl, because it may foam up and overflow the jar. Just pour the overflow from the bowl back into the jar. Eventually the fruit will start to separate into liquid and solids. You should start to see this in a couple of weeks.

As it ferments, the mash changes colors. The banana mash will look strange and funky. That’s okay. It is part of the natural process. The fermenting mash will draw fruit flies. So be prepared.

You can start using the banana vinegar at four months, but it’s even better at six months.

How to use banana vinegar:

This vinegar can be used as a tonic. This vinegar adds a bright flavor to salad dressings or drizzle over raw or cooked vegetables. It also can be used to make refrigerator pickles. Just add chopped garlic, sliced onions, grated carrots, slivered cabbage, chili, and oregano.