Lilac Vinegar

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Pour most of the juice into a sanitized widemouthed gallon jar, add the blossoms, and pour in as much of the remaining juice as will fit. Stir well with a wooden spoon.

   Step 2

   Cover the jar with a basket-style coffee filter or a piece of unbleached cotton (butter muslin or tightly woven cheesecloth). Secure with a string, a rubber band, or a threaded metal canning band. This is to keep out fruit flies.

   Step 3

   If possible, place in an environment where the temperature is between 50° and 65°F. Wild yeasts like a cool temperature, so the closer you stay in this range, the better. Wild yeasts typically are slow to start, so don’t expect to see bubbles in your jar for a couple of days or more.

   Step 4

   Stir once a day for the first 5 or 6 days. Unlike with most ferments, you want to get some oxygen in the mix. However, make sure the flower petals themselves stay submerged, otherwise they can become a host for undesirable opportunistic bacteria.

   Step 5

   Add the raw vinegar. Stir well and replace the covering.

   Step 6

   Place on your counter or in another spot that is 75° to 86°F.

   Step 7

   Check the vinegar in a month, when you should have nice acidity. However, it may take another month or two to fully develop, especially if your environment is cooler.

   Step 8

   Bottle the finished vinegar, saving the mother for another batch or sharing with a friend. Use immediately, or age to allow it to mellow and flavors to develop.