peach vinegar.
Ingredients:
400g white wine, (dry riseling is best, although any light-bodied, fruity wine of your choice will work, red or white).
400g peaches.
160g unpasteurized vinegar. (Any unpasteurized mild vinegar works.)
5g cinnamon.
6 allspice berries.
2 cloves.
3 green cardamom pods.
small pinch grated nutmeg.
Equipment:
high-speed blender.
food-safe & sterile fermenting vessel. (Roughly larger than 1L).
cheesecloth or paper towel.
Yield:
~1L vinegar.
Execution:
prep.
(Make sure all of your equipment is sterile before starting.)
Wash the peaches, remove the pits and stems and add to a blender alongside the white wine.
Blend this liquid until thoroughly combined.
Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve, add the vinegar.
Toast the cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom and add to mixture, add the nutmeg as well.
Add the peach vinegar base to a sterile jar and cover with a kitchen towel and a rubber band, or you can place a thick paper towel overtop and secure it in place with a rubber band.
2. ferment.
Place the jar in an area with no sunlight, the vinegar may take about 3-4 weeks to ferment. Although the time will vary depending on a multitude of factors, primarily oxygen and temperature. Try to keep the jar in an environment around 60-80°F.
Taste the vinegar every few days to inspect the progress. Once the vinegar is nearing its peak, you will notice that the taste of alcohol has disappeared and you should be hit with instead spicy, fruity, sharp acid and a touch of residual sweetness as well as a very noticeable aroma of peaches/stone fruit. (Although this will also depend on the wine you used.)
Do not use metal containers. I also recommend using a container with a wide mouth to allow aeration.