Dandelion Root Infused Vinegar Recipe

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I admit, when it comes to herbal preparations, I tend to turn to teas and tinctures more than anything else. But I’ve been trying to expand my kitchen apothecary lately, so I’ve been making more herbal vinegars. And since it’s spring (technically, at least), it seemed like a good time to make a dandelion root vinegar. 

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NOTE: The information in this post is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is always best to work with a qualified healthcare professional before incorporating herbs into your diet.

Benefits Of Herbal Vinegars

Herbal vinegars are a delicious and incredibly easy way to incorporate more herbs into your diet. They can be used anywhere you’d use vinegar while cooking and can also be used topically and as a hair rinse. 

Vinegar is a great way to extract minerals and vitamins from whatever herb you choose, making it the perfect base for nutritive herbs like dandelion and nettles. It also works beautifully with culinary herbs, like rosemary, thyme, or sage. And I can’t think of a more delicious way to get more minerals and vitamins in my diet. 

How To Make Herb-Infused Vinegar

When I say making herbal vinegars is easy, I mean it. It’s quite literally as easy as combining your chosen herb and vinegar in a jar and letting it hang out for a while. 

I like to use the “folk” method for making infused vinegars (and tinctures, for that matter) because it’s easy to do in everyday life while also still being incredibly effective. You can use dried or fresh herbs using this method, as well. 

I tend to make infused vinegars in pint or quart jars so that I don’t end up with more infused vinegar than I can reasonably use before it goes off. For dried herbs, you’ll want to fill your jar about ¼ to ⅓ full with the herbs. If you’re using fresh herbs, chop up the herbs well and then fill your jar at least ¾ full. If it’s an extra fluffy herb (like chive blossoms, for example) you may want to fill the jar all the way to the top. 

To speed up the infusion process, you can warm your vinegar on the stove until it just begins to steam. You don’t want to bring it to a boil. Warming the vinegar is optional but it helps the vinegar extract the nutrients from the herbs a bit faster. So if you’re in a hurry, this is a good option.

Carefully pour the vinegar over the herbs. Stir with a spoon or wooden chopstick to get any air bubbles out. Top up with more vinegar, if needed. 

Cap your jars tightly either using a plastic lid or by placing a piece of parchment paper between the jar and a metal lid. Vinegar will corrode metal if unprotected. Label the jar with the name of the herb, the type of vinegar, and the date you made it.

Place the jar somewhere that you’ll see them every day (a warm spot is ideal) and give it a bit of a shake every day during the first week to keep the herbs distributed. If you used warmed vinegar, you can probably strain them after the first week. Otherwise, let the jar hang out for another 1-3 weeks to infuse.

Once ready, strain the dandelion root vinegar through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or an unbleached coffee filter. Store the herbs in a glass container with a non-metal lid in the pantry for up to 1 year. I particularly like these flip-top glass bottles for infused vinegar. And don’t forget to label your final creation so you don’t forget what you’ve made! (Something we’ve all done at least once)

What Vinegar Should You Use?

You can use any type of cooking vinegar you like when making herb-infused vinegar. The most common vinegar is apple cider vinegar because it comes with its own host of health benefits. Just be sure to select raw apple cider vinegar with the mother. 

Honestly, though, whatever vinegar you’re most likely to use in your daily life is the best vinegar. If you’re always grabbing balsamic vinegar while cooking, then use that and infuse your recipes with some extra herbal goodness. White wine vinegar is also a great option that’s a bit on the milder side and lets the aroma and flavor of the herbs really shine through.

Making infused vinegars is so easy, there’s really no reason not to experiment a little!

Where Do I Get The Herbs?

There are a number of ways to obtain herbs. Culinary herbs you get from the grocery store are a great option. And if you grow them yourself, even better! 

For this dandelion root infused vinegar, you can dig up fresh dandelion roots if you’ve got them growing in your yard. (Just make sure wherever you harvest hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals!) Or you can opt for dried dandelion root like I did that I purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs. This is where I a lot of my bulk herbs and they’re always incredibly high quality. 

Of course, if you have a local herb apothecary, that’s the route to go. I love supporting these small local herb businesses whenever I can. Local herb businesses are also a great resource for any questions you may have as you’re learning about herbs. 

If you’re local to the Salt Lake City area, I highly recommend Natural Law Apothecary. It’s owned and run by some of the loveliest people and they offer a beautiful selection of bulk herbs. 

Dandelion Root Infused Vinegar

Herbal vinegars are a great way to extract the nutritive properties from herbs and make them easy to use in your daily cooking. This dandelion root infused vinegar is perfect for spring. 

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Course Infused Vinegar

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

  

• 1 glass pint jar
• Enough dried dandelion root to fill the jar ¼-⅓ full or enough fresh to nearly fill the jar
• About 2 cups of vinegar of choice
• A plastic lid or metal lid and a small square of parchment paper

Instructions

 

• Add the herbs to the jar. Make sure the herbs are chopped up well. You want as much surface area as possible to come in contact with the vinegar.
• OPTIONAL: Gently heat the vinegar in a small pot on the stove until it’s just beginning to steam. You don’t want to bring it to a boil, so keep an eye on it.
• Carefully pour the vinegar over the herbs. Stir the herbs with a spoon or wood chopstick to release any air bubbles. Top with more vinegar to fill the jar, if needed.
• Tightly secure a plastic lid or place the piece of parchment paper on top of the jar before securing a metal lid. Vinegar will corrode metal if it comes in contact with it.
• Place the jar somewhere that you’ll see it so that you don’t forget about it. Someplace warm is ideal. Gently shake the jar every day for the first week to help keep the herbs distributed in the vinegar.
• If you warmed the vinegar before infusing, you can strain out the herbs after the first week. Otherwise, let the herb vinegar infuse for another 3 weeks. You’ll want the herbs to infuse for at least 4 weeks total but you can let them infuse for up to 6 weeks, if you want.
• After the 4-6 weeks, strain out the herbs using a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or an unbleached coffee filter. Squeeze out the herbs to extract all the goodness out of them.
• Compost the herbs, if possible.
• Label and store your herb-infused in the pantry for up to 1 year. Use liberally in cooking. Your salad dressings will never be the same.