TEA-INFUSED VINEGAR

Summer is a great time to bless someone with tea-infused vinegar.  These vinegars are easy to make by combining the tea of your choice with a favorite vinegar and are so useful in the pantry.  The concentrated flavor can make your salad vinaigrettes unique and special, but can also be added to stews, pickling brines or marinades plus used to deglaze pans and finish sauces.  These vinegars can also be diluted with cold or warm water to create a “drinking vinegar” – a refreshing and healthy beverage.

BASIC TEA-INFUSED VINEGAR
3c vinegar
1 heaping Tablespoon loose-leaf tea
            Bring vinegar to boil.  Add tea leaves, stir, cover and remove from the heat.  Let steep until completely cool, then strain out tea leaves.  The key to these vinegars is to strain well, so strain again through cheesecloth or a coffee filter until crystal clear.  Place into sterilized bottles or jars and store at room temperature for up to a year.

VINEGAR & TEA COMBINATIONS:

White wine vinegar – moderately tangy vinegar made from white wine used for sauces, vinaigrettes, soups and stews.

• Oolong tea - usually better as drinking vinegars, but they can also be delicious in mushroom dishes
• White tea - milder flavor that's well suited to drinking vinegar and to dressings for savory-sweet salads

Red wine vinegar – a tangy vinegar made from red wine used for pickling, deglazing pans, marinating meats, making sauces and is found in certain desserts.

• Black tea – Keemun-infused vinegar works well in marinades, butter sauces, rich, creamy foods and tomato dishes

Cider vinegar - made from apples and is a good choice for vinaigrettes, marinades and chutneys.

• Black Tea – Darjeeling-infused vinegar for marinades and as a drinking vinegar
• Puerh Tea – richer tasting vinegar that works well as a drinking vinegar, in marinades (especially red meat) and as a foil in heavy, rich dishes

Malt vinegar – made from ale and traditionally used on beer battered fish and chips.

• Black tea – Assam-infused vinegar for marinades and as a foil in heavy, oily dishes

Rice vinegar – made from fermented rice, very mild and sweet for Asian-inspired vinaigrettes and sushi rice.

• Green tea – Sencha-infused vinegar for pickles, marinades (especially seafood and chicken) and salad dressings.

When gifting tea-infused vinegar, always include a recipe like this vinaigrette using the vinegar to get the recipient’s creative juices flowing!

WHITE TEA VINAIGRETTE
1/3c white tea infused white wine vinegar
2tsp honey
1tsp minced shallots
1Tbs chopped fresh thyme or tarragon
1c extra virgin olive oil
            Combine vinegar, honey, shallots, herbs, salt and pepper and whisk well.  Drizzle in oil while whisking.  Use immediately or store refrigerated for up to 5 days.  This vinaigrette is wonderful when served with a baby greens, Bosc pear and blue cheese salad.

“Let us not become weary in doing good,
 for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Galatians 6:9-10