Its only been a few weeks since we started sending issue 1 of Life in the Making Quarterly out the door and we are already deep into Issue 2 prep. If you follow us on Instagram stories, you will have already seen a sneak peek, but how about a quick one here too?

This is a beetroot tartin with feta and honey and an elderberry vinegar base. It has become an absolute staple around here, with our beetroot, honey and elderberry harvests all coming in at the same time.

And while I don’t have the recipe for this full dish written out yet, I do have a quick recipe for the vinegar we make every year. Making fruit vinegars is such a great way to capture the flavours of the season - much easier than any other preservation method.

Not only a great addition to the kitchen, this type of fruit vinegar is also often used as a herbal remedy called and oxymel. An oxymel is a type of herbal extraction made with vinegar (usually apple cider vinegar) and honey.  The popular fire cider is an oxymel - peppers, lemon, ginger, horseradish, tumeric, garlic and other anti-inflammatory herbs are steeped in vinegar and honey and used as a tonic to promote health. The acidity of the vinegar helps draw out the alkaloids and volatile oils in the berries making them more bioavailable to us.

The best thing about oxymels and fruit vinegars is how easy they are to make  - bung in your fruit and then add equal amounts vinegar and honey and leave to infuse for 3ish weeks. After that, you can simply strain off and then use on its own, or add hot water or use as a cordial or a salad dressing. Delicious!

Ingredients:

• Handful of fresh raspberries, brambles, blackberries and/or elderberries (around 120g)

• A clean, glass jam jar

• Organic apple cider vinegar or kombucha vinegar

• Organic honey

• Grease-proof paper

Method:

1. Pop the berries into the jar

2. Pour over enough vinegar to cover them

3. Fill the rest of the jar with honey & mix

4. Use the lid to cut out a circle of grease-proof paper & pop

5. inside the lid before closing to stop rusting

6. Leave to infuse in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks then strain into another jar

Store in the cupboard for up to 6 months - Once opened keep in fridge & use within 3 months

Interested in more preserving recipes and techniques? Check out our online courses

Last year, Lauren from Herbal Homestead helped us pull together a video all about making your own infused vinegar.