Spiced Pickling Vinegar

Spiced Pickling Vinegar is a kitchen staple for preserving all kinds of fruit and vegetables, creating delicious tangy and crunchy pickles for your table.

Why should I make Spiced Pickling Vinegar?

If you love pickles then I thoroughly recommend making your own spiced pickling vinegar. It’s very easy to make and you have total control over the process. You can choose the type of vinegar you want to use, and you can vary the spices, add sugar or not to make a pickling vinegar that is to your own taste.

What ingredients do I need to make Spiced Pickling Vinegar?

The ingredients for this pickling vinegar are not difficult to find, you may already have some of them in your larder. Here is what you need:

• vinegar
• cinnamon stick
• whole cloves
• cinnamon stick

Scroll to the end of this article to find the full recipe and all quantities of ingredients, with step-by-step photo instructions.

What kind of vinegar should I use?

You can use most types of vinegar to make a pickling mix. I used white wine vinegar but you can use malt vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even red wine vinegar. You can even use fruit vinegar like my Blackcurrant Vinegar and add spices.

When you are choosing which kind of vinegar to use, please do take into account what you plan to pickle. Onions and beetroot can take a strong malt vinegar but more delicate vegetables like cucumber are better with a more delicate vinegar like a wine or cider vinegar.

I don’t have a cinnamon stick, can I use ground cinnamon?

I don’t recommend using ground cinnamon in pickling vinegar. If you don’t have or don’t want to use cinnamon try some different spices like coriander or star anise.

What is allspice?

Allspice is a unique and aromatic spice derived from the dried, unripe berries of the Pimenta dioica plant, which is native to the Caribbean, Central America, and parts of South America.

Despite its name, allspice is not a blend of different spices, but rather a single spice with a complex flavour that resembles a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper.

What are cloves?

The word “clove” derives from the Latin word clavus, meaning “nail,” which aptly describes the appearance of the spice: a rounded head with a slender stem.

Cloves are the dried flower buds of the evergreen tree Syzygium aromaticum. The buds are harvested just before they bloom, then sun-dried until they turn the characteristic deep brown colour.

Which other spices can I use in Spiced Pickling Vinegar?

You can choose from many different spices and some dried herbs. I recommend that you try with only a few to begin with, and keep the quantity of spices small. You can always reboil the vinegar with more spices, but you can’t take them away!

Keep a note of the quantity of spices you use and you will find your own perfect blend. Here are some herbs and spices that work well in pickling vinegar:

• coriander seeds
• star anise
• dill seeds
• fennel seeds
• mustard seeds
• chilli flakes
• bay leaves
• black peppercorns
• ginger
• garlic

Can I make a sweet pickling vinegar?

Sweetening your pickling vinegar is a great way to make the vinegar less sharp and vegetables like cucumbers and courgettes take well to a slightly sweeter vinegar.

Simply add around 200 grams of white granulated sugar to your vinegar before you bring it to the boil, ensure that the sugar has dissolved in the warm vinegar before boiling it for 10 minutes.

HOW DO I STERILISE THE BOTTLES OR JARS FOR THE VINEGAR?

Find out why you should sterilise your bottles and about the different methods you can use to sterilise bottles and jars in this article.

CAN I INCREASE THE QUANTITIES THAT I MAKE?

Yes, you can make as much Spiced Pickling Vinegar as you want. Simply increase the ingredients.

VEGETARIAN

Blackcurrant Vinegar is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. This recipe does not include any animal-derived ingredients, making it an excellent choice to add extra flavour to plant-based diets.

GLUTEN FREE

This recipe is gluten-free. There are no wheat products in this recipe, making it suitable for a gluten-free diet. However, I recommend that you check every ingredient to ensure it meets your specific dietary requirements.

For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I use Spiced Pickling Vinegar?

This vinegar is perfect to use when pickling vegetables and even fruit, preserving them to eat throughout the year. Spices serve multiple purposes in pickling. They impart depth of flavour, complement the natural taste of the vegetables or fruits, and contribute to the colour and aroma of the finished product.

Use Spiced Pickling Vinegar for my Easy Pickled Beetroot or with any of my chutney and relish recipes.