Herbal Vinegars

You know those pesky dandelions that you fight in your lawn? Now they can be your friends. In the early spring dig out some dandelions. Rinse them and then pat them dry. Place the roots and leaves in a jar until it’s full right up to the top.

Sterilize the jar first by pouring boiling water in it right up to the top. In 10 minutes pour the water out of the jar and turn it upside down to dry. Toss the cork in boiling water in a pan to sterilize it.

Be sure the jars and corks are dry before filling them with the herbs and vinegar.

Fill the jar with apple cider vinegar at room temperature. After covering the jar, put it in a cupboard for six weeks. Label it with the date, type of herb and type of vinegar.

Never cover a jar with a metal lid because the vinegar will corrode the metal and may add toxic substances to your delicious herbal vinegar.

After the six weeks passes, strain out the herbs and keep the vinegar. Then enjoy it in marinades, salad dressings and other greens. Herbalists report that each tablespoon of dandelion vinegar contains 175 mg. of calcium plus many other minerals.

After a frost or two dig up more dandelions in the fall and repeat the herbal infusion process for your winter supply.

A note of caution: If you use chemicals on your lawn, search for a chemical-free area to collect your dandelions.

You may want to experiment with vinegars made from other herbs as well. Burdock roots and dark wild greens contain minerals that nourish the bones too.

For calcium-mineral rich dishes, sprinkle your calcium extracted herbal vinegars on calcium rich foods like kale, broccoli, spinach and bok choy. Add some seaweed rich in minerals such as wakame and hijiki if you like the taste of seaweed.

The following foods also nourish bones and add more organic calcium that’s easier to assimilate to your meals:

• Nuts, especially almonds
• Seeds, especially sesame seeds
• Fish with the bones, like canned sardines, salmon and oysters
• Green tea
• Burdock roots
• Milk, cheese, yogurt if your body tolerates dairy products.
• Please note: pasteurization of milk changes the form of the calcium and makes it much harder for your intestines to absorb it. So the other sources of calcium reviewed above may actually be much better for you.

There’s a difference between herbal vinegars and culinary vinegars. A small amount of a strong herb is placed in a vinegar to impart flavor to the vinegar when making a culinary herb. For herbal vinegars a large amount of an herb is placed in the vinegar to extract the wonderful minerals, vitamins and other phytonutrients from the herbs. Wild Crafty shares more tips on herbal vinegars.

So, culinary vinegars add flavor and fun to salads and other dishes and herbal vinegars provide more nourishment. Both are fun and have a place in our meals.