These tough little cherries hold their shape, making them perfect for those who prefer a chunky chutney. They look similar to Bing cherries, although they are slightly less sweet. All you need to do is pop the clean cherries into jars (no need to pit them), cover them with the vinegar solution, and leave them to soak. I love this because I don't have to deal with my cherries right in the busy middle of harvest season - I can leave them for a few weeks and turn them into delicious cherry shrub later when I have a some moments of spare time. Here’s how you can take your fruits and turn them into a vinegar that is shelf-stable and can be used in homemade condiments, herbal remedies, refreshing summer drinks, and even in your baking. Also called ‘rice vinegar’ this is the closest in flavour profile and acidity strength to sherry vinegar. It’s available in the Asian foods section of my local supermarket. 2. Champagne Vinegar Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of organic sugar, per half gallon jar, and fill with water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. 4) Cover

Vinegar is one of those things you can make that you don't need to worry much about. In fact, if you just mash up your fruit, you could actually get away with leaving the pits and stems on the fruit. Did I mention? I'm a bit lazy in the kitchen. I usually use white vinegar in making my cherry shrub - it provides a clear, bright cherry flavour. You can vary it by using red wine vinegar for a more mellow, smooth cherry flavour. Have you ever made flavored vinegar? It is so good! Start with this cherry vinegar, if you happen to have some extra cherries. Great for any kind of leafy salad, so much tastier than store-bought infused vinegar.Another good substitute. I find most brands to have a harsher or stronger acidity so I would use slightly less if substituting. 4. Red Wine Vinegar

After the second or third week, strain the liquid into a clean jar without the fruit. Cover with a plastic lid (metal lids will corrode due to the acids), and continue the process of creating vinegar. This should take a month to perhaps even four months depending on the sweetness of the fruit and conditions in your home.

Table of contents

When there is no release of carbon dioxide, you can safely bottle up your vinegar! Bottling Homemade Fruit Vinegar Vinegar: This cherry version uses white wine vinegar. You could also make it with white balsamic vinegar. This zesty vinegar goes particularly well with tart cherries. Not as effective as balsamic vinegar when it comes to rounding off the taste, apple cider vinegar is still a good match for this particular recipe. For ease of use and to avoid evaporation, you should bottle up your fruit vinegar once it has finished fermenting. Trouble is, it’s not always easy to tell when it has finished! If you seal it up too soon, the liquid will carbonate, resulting in a bubbly mess when you break the seal.

Pour unchlorinated water over the fruits, so all are submerged fully in the water. You can also add some herbs or orange peel on the top to prevent the cherriesfrom floating above the water. I set out to read some books and articles online. I was a bit confused, I'll be honest, because there are nuances and differences in all of them. And then I asked some of my homesteading friends. Same thing.

Variations 

Natural, airborne yeasts are responsible for the first stage of fermentation. Yes, they already exist in your home and were also present on the skin of your fruit! For the first week or two, you'll want to give your fermenting vinegar a stir or two every day or at least every other day. You may find your fruit floats to the top, and that's just fine. But you don't want mold to form, and stirring helps prevent this. Stir together a 3:1 vinegar-water solution; for one quart jar of cherries you will need about 1 cup of vinegar + ⅓ cup of water [240ml vinegar + 80ml water]. (For making a large batch with multiple quarts of cherries at a time; use 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water, as in ¾ cup vinegar plus¼ cup water to make up each cupful of solution). Pour this vinegar solution over the cherries to just cover them. Screw on the lid of the jar. Set the cherries aside to marinate for 1 week at room temperature. Put them in the fridge it you can't get to them and need to keep them for up to several weeks longer. In Jerez de la Frontera a traditional dish is "Riñones al Jerez": lambs kidneys with a sauce made from sherry wine and sherry vinegar. Many recipes and marinades call for vinegar. Try making your marinade with this fruit vinegar and see how that goes! 5) Best of All: Drink Your Vinegar

The next closest is champagne vinegar which tends to be slightly sweeter and less harsh than your usual wine vinegar. 3. White Wine Vinegar Our cherry trees are on strike this year. I'm calling the Sour Cherry Labour Union. What's up with this? We treat them well. They get benefits. I sing to them (that could be a problem). We pay them a decent wage. this is a mere shadow of our usual heavy bounty of sour cherries While it’s not as widely available as other varieties of vinegar, like apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, you can find it at many specialty grocery stores. What Is Cherry Vinegar? The best sherry vinegars have a deep, complex flavour and enhance the flavours in soups, stews, sauces, casseroles and dressings.Yep. Adding your raw fruit vinegar to water is excellent for your gut health. It also has all the health benefits (maybe even more) touted by the apple cider vinegar industry. Drinking a bit of vinegar every day may: However, it is important to remember that vinegar is an acid and can be harsh on the skin and eyes. Fill a glass jar about ¾ full with pitted and chopped cherries. You can also add some herbs or orange peel. Don't overfill the jar because when the fermentation occurs, the liquid becomes active and bubbles up. If the jar is too full, it may overflow and create a mess. Second step: Cover the fruits with water. If you want to speed up the process, or if you run into any issues getting good colonization from acetic acid bacteria, you can add a few tablespoons of raw vinegar (with the mother) to ensure that the vinegar producing bacteria can take hold. As the fermentation progresses, the water will become cloudy and gradually clear up again. You are ready to proceed to the second ferment when the water is clear. However, some fruit vinegar may remain somewhat cloudy, so relying solely on the clarity of the water can sometimes be challenging.