Very Fine Raspberry Vinegar is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton's recipe of 1845, for a classic raspberry-flavoured vinegar made by infusing raspberries in white wine vinegar and sweetening with sugar that can be used as a dressing or even as a drink. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Very Fine Raspberry Vinegar.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Eliza Acton's 1845 volume Modern Cookery, the first classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
VERY FINE RASPBERRY VINEGAR.
Fill glass jars or large wide-necked bottles, with very ripe but perfectly sound freshly gathered raspberries, freed from their stalks, and cover them with pale white wine vinegar : they may be left to infuse from a week to ten days without injury, or the vinegar may be poured from them in four or five, when more convenient. After it is drained off, turn the fruit into a sieve placed over a deep dish or bowl, as the juice will flow slowly from it for many hours; put fresh raspberries into the bottles, and pour the vinegar back upon them ; two or three days later change the fruit again, and when it has stood the same space of time, drain the whole of the vinegar closely from it, pass it through a jelly-bag or thick linen cloth, and boil it gently for four or five minutes with its weight of good sugar roughly powdered, or a pound and a quarter to the exact pint, and be very careful to remove the scum entirely as it rises. On the following day bottle the syrup, observing the directions which we have given for the strawberry vinegar. When the fruit is scarce it may be changed twice only, and left a few days longer in the vinegar.
Raspberries, 6 lbs.; vinegar, 9 pints: 7 to 10 days. Vinegar drained on to fresh raspberries (6 lbs. of) : 3 to 5 days. Poured again on fresh raspberries, 6 lbs.: 3 to 5 days. Boiled 5 minutes with its weight of sugar. Obs.—When the process of sugar-boiling is well understood, it will be found an improvement to boil that which is used for raspberry or strawberry vinegar to candy height before the liquid is mixed with it ; all the scum may then be removed with a couple of minutes' simmering, and the flavour of the fruit will be more perfectly preserved. For more particular directions as to the mode of proceeding, the chapter of confectionary may be consulted.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1kg fresh raspberries, hulled
600ml to 800ml white wine vinegar
equal weight of sugar to the weight of liquid from the fruit
Method:
Place half the raspberries in wide mouthed jars that have been cleaned and sterilized. Pour over enough white wine vinegar to cover the fruit secure lids on top then set aside in a cool, dry, place to infuse for about 8 days (anywhere between 7 days and 10 days is fine).
Drain the vinegar off the fruit and set aside then place the fruit into a fine-meshed sieve and set aside to drain over night.
In the meantime, place the remaining 500g raspberries in the jars and pour over the reserved vinegar. Seal and set aside to infuse from between 3 and 5 days. Reserve the juice that has strained from the fruit and set aside in the refrigerator.
When the fruit has infused sufficiently a second time, turn into a jelly bag or a fine-meshed sieve lined with a double layer of muslin. Pour over the reserved fruit juices and set aside to drain into a large bowl over night.
Weight the liquid and pour into a pan then add an equal weight of caster sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue boiling for 4 minutes. Remove any scum as it rises then take off the heat and set aside to cool. Once cold, pour into cleaned and sterilized bottles. Stopper securely and store in the refrigerator.
To serve as a drink, place about 4 tbsp of the vinegar in a glass and top with chilled sparkling water.
