Ingredients
| 350g Winter Nelis pears, halved and sliced (do not wash the pears) | |
| 500ml water, preferably filtered | |
| 80ml honey or maple syrup |
This simple way to make vinegar relies purely on natural fermentation. The vinegar is very light and flavoursome – great used as a vinaigrette or dressing. Not too dissimilar from apple cider vinegar, it has the same beneficial properties. Use organic or spray-free pears as the natural yeast on the skin is useful in the fermentation process. Here, Winter Nelis pears, with their sugary, smoother-textured flesh, are used.
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Instructions
| 1. | Place all the ingredients into a sterilised 2L jar and cover with the lid. |
| 2. | Gently shake to disperse the honey or syrup. |
| 3. | Twice a day, gently shake the mixture and ‘burp’ the jar to release gas build-up by opening and closing the lid. |
| 4. | After a few days you should start to see bubbles (which means the mix is fermenting). |
| 5. | After 10 days, strain to remove the chunks of pear. |
| 6. | Transfer liquid to a smaller sterilised jar and cover with a piece of fine muslin held in place with string or a rubber band. |
| 7. | Place in a dark, room-temperature cupboard for 3-4 weeks untouched. |
| 8. | By this time the sugars in the mix should have been used up and the acidity will have taken over; if you are lucky, a very thin jelly-like mass may have formed on top – this is a scoby not too different to a kombucha scoby. |
| 9. | Bottle the vinegar now (removing the scoby) or leave it to age for a stronger flavour. |
Recipes & food styling Russell Holder / Photography Manja Wachsmuth
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