Do you ever make berry jellies, syrups or cordials? If so, this recipe is for your kitchen! Some of us may already have ‘uses’ for leftover berry seeds and pulp, like animal feed or compost. But here is one more way to get everything you can from your berries before tossing them out.
If you steam juice fruits, this is an exceptional way to use the leftovers!
Go ahead and use whatever berry type you’ve got, so long as it has seeds and skin.
HOW TO MAKE FRUGAL BERRY VINEGAR
You’ll need:
- 6-7 C berry pulp
- 2 C water (roughly)
- 1/4 C honey
- a 1/2 gallon jar + a quart jar
- cloth and string
Directions: save the berry pulp from your jelly straining cloth. Place 8 C of pulp in a 2 quart (half gallon) jar.
In a quart jar combine 1 C room temperature water with a 1/4 C raw honey. Tighten down a lid and shake to dissolve raw honey.
Pour the water/honey mixture over berry pulp. Add up to 1 C water, filling the jar to the shoulder. Note: leave room for expansion!
Cover with a lid and let it sit for 3-5 days, releasing gasses daily. If the build up is too extreme, you can remove the lid and cover mouth with a cloth. Secure with canning ring or rubber band.
When 3-5 days have passed, strain your liquid, catching solids in a cloth. Skins and seeds can be left to drip for the next 4-6 hours. Juices caught should be added to the fermenting jar.
FERMENTING PROCESS
Place berry liquid in a clean fermenting jar. Cover the mouth with a cloth and secure to keep fruit flies and dust at bay.
For successful fermenting keep the liquid at room temperature (between 60F-75F). After 4 months, you’ll have a delicious berry vinegar. The seeds in some berries (such as blackberries) often give the finished product a less fruity and somewhat ‘seedy’ flavor.
I'm Autumn. Join me in the simple cottage life and learn how to keep a traditional kitchen, garden and pantry!
Do you think I could do this with my grapes and other fruits too? I started making apple scrap vinegar (from cores, peels, etc.) last year and love making it – although it still somewhat terrifies me (which is why I jumped on getting your book :p)! Anyhow, Josh got me a steam juicer for my birthday this year and I have been using it a lot. I keep throwing the mush left in the steamer collander in the compost pile, but it feels so wasteful (not that it’s really wasteful, but you know what I mean). Anyways, I would love to reuse it if you think it will work!
It does feel wasteful, doesn’t it? Steam juicing pulls lots of the juices (and sugars) out of the fruit, so be sure to add in honey or sugar to feed the yeasts and you should be fine!