Homemade Cranberry Vinegar & Cranberry Vinaigrette
Easily make homemade cranberry vinegar with white vinegar and a touch of sugar. Includes printable gift tags with a cranberry vinaigrette recipe and a waste-not cranberry sauce option.
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 96kcal
Equipment
- 3 quart saucepan
- medium colander
- 4 cup glass measuring cup or large bowl
Ingredients
Cranberry Vineagar
- 12 ounces cranberries (1 bag) fresh or frozen
- 4 cups white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Cranberry Vinaigrette
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup cranberry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional
Instructions
Make the Vinegar
- Combine all of the ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan and bring to boiling over medium-high heat (about 8-10 minutes). Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, at a boil while berries pop and split (partially cover pan if needed). Remove from heat and crush more berries with the back of the spoon a bit more as needed.
- Line a medium size colander with paper towels or cheesecloth (or use a fine sieve, but you may get a cloudy vinegar). Slowly pour about half of the cranberry mixture into the lined colander and let it drain. Pour the rest through and let it drain. You can gently press with the back of a spoon, but not too much. Let the vinegar cool.
Tangy Cranberry Sauce
- While the vinegar is cooling, you can make the optional Tangy Cranberry Sauce with the solids (or you can discard them). To make the sauce, dump the solids back into the saucepan and add 1 cup orange juice and 3/4 to 1 cup maple syrup (start with less and taste to see if you'd like more). OPTION: Add one jalapeño, diced. Bring to a boil and cook 5-8 minutes on low, stirring often, tasting for sweetness. Keep chunky or blend with an immersion hand-held blender to desired consistency. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Bottle The Vinegar
- Using a funnel, pour the cooled vinegar into 4 to 8-ounce bottles (I used recycled salad dressing jars and small 4-ounce flip-top bottles). Download, print, and attach the tags to the bottles with ribbon.
Cranberry Vinaigrette Recipe
- Combine all the ingredients in a 12-ounce or pint jar. Shake well before use. You can store it in the pantry if you use only powdered garlic, otherwise store it in the refrigerator.
Notes
Vinegar Storage:
- Stored in pantry: 6 months to a year, though quality (color and flavor) will suffer.
- Stored in refrigerator: 1-2 years, keeping it's bright color and flavor longer.
- Quick Onion Pickle: Thinly slice onions and add to a small bowl. Cover with cranberry vinegar and let sit 10 minutes. Use on tacos, rice bowls, sandwiches, and wraps.
- Cranberry Walnut Slaw: Combine shredded cabbage with onions, dried cranberries, and walnuts - toss with the cranberry vinaigrette.
- Meat Marinade: Mix 1/4 cup cranberry vinegar with 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 3 minced garlic cloves in a bowl. Add chicken or pork, toss and cover. Marinate in the fridge for an hour or two.
Nutrition
Serving: 1TB | Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 5mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
