img_1910Spicy, savory undertones from apple, cardamom, cinnamon, curry, mint, create a type of liquid chutney in a bottle ready to flavor a bevy of soups, stews, and sauces, which I applied as part of the flavoring profile in my vegan Worcestershire sauce along with other select vinegars.

For other recipes, I reduced it into a glaze for grilling. But I didn’t stop there. As a glaze, it’s perfect for drizzling over desserts and ice cream.

Recipe notes: What you will need: 1-qt Mason jar and strainer. Active prep time 10-minutes. Inactive time 1-2 weeks for curing. Vinegar yields 2-cups. Gastrique yields 2/3-1/2 cup. Cooking time 15-20minutes. Difficulty level: Very easy

Ingredients:

  • 2-apples (preferably granny smith or gala), cored and cut
  • 4-sprigs fresh mint
  • 2-sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1-shallot split lengthwise
  • 1-garlic clove split lengthwise
  • 1-sm turmeric root split lengthwise
  • 1/2 inch piece of ginger
  • 3- whole cardamom pods, halved
  • 1-clove
  • 1/2-cinnamon stick
  • 1/2-vanilla bean split lengthwise
  • 2-dry arobol chiles broken, or 1/4-tsp dry chili flakes
  • 10-peppercorns
  • 2-slices fresh orange
  • 1/3-cup black currants or raisins
  • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  • 2-cups unfiltered apple cider vinegar

Preparation:

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  1. Place fruit and aromatics in a jar.
  2. Heat vinegar in the microwave and pour over ingredients.
  3. Allow to cool before securing the lid.
  4. Let cure for 7-10 days.
  5. Strain and transfer to the desired jar.

For gastrique/reduction:

  1. Pour vinegar into a 2-qt saucepan, add 1/4-cup Stevia and cook on high heat.
  2. Bring vinegar to a roaring boil and allow to boil for 5-minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and swirl pan till bubbles recede, and steam completely dissipates. Do not stir.
  4. Return pan to heat, continuing to swirl reduction in intervals between boiling points. Reduce vinegar by 3/4 or till you see a syrupy consistency developing approximately 15-20 minutes. The last 5-minutes are crucial, this is when the sugars are caramelizing, and the vinegar needs close attention.
  5. If starting with 16 ounces of liquid, you should end up with about 4-oz, or 1/2 cup.

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To test the reduction:

  1. Allow reduction to cool completely and trail a tablespoon through it, if syrup coats the spoon like honey, then you’ve reached the desired consistency. If still too, runny, return pan to heat and bring to a boil one or two more times. Better to error on the side of caution and stop there; otherwise the syrup will be too thick and turn to tar when it cools
  2. Allow to cool before transferring to a glass bottle.

 

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