How to Make Herbal Vinegars at Home

How to Make Herbal Vinegars at Home

Quick Recipe Card

Standard Ratio (per pint of vinegar, from Clemson Extension):

• Fresh herbs: 3–4 sprigs
• Dried herbs: 3 tablespoons (see our guide to drying herbs)
• Lemon or orange peel: the peel of one fruit, colored part only
• Vinegar: heated to 190–195°F before you pour it over

What Are Herbal Vinegars?

Think of herbal vinegars as one of the simplest things you can make in your herbal kitchen: herbs steeped in vinegar, then strained. The steps that matter are the food-safety ones, so this page follows extension guidance from Clemson University and Oregon State University. These infusions add bright flavor to your cooking.

You’ve probably paid seven dollars for a tiny bottle of herb vinegar at the farmer’s market. You can make a whole pint for about a dollar.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients

• Vinegar: Store-bought vinegar. Oregon State says, “For added safety, use only commercially produced vinegars.” Clemson describes distilled white vinegar as “the best choice for delicately flavored herbs,” and apple cider vinegar as milder, with an amber color. Oregon State cautions that “Wine and rice vinegars contain some proteins that promote bacterial growth if the vinegars are not handled and stored properly.”
• Herbs: Whatever’s growing in your garden or dried herbs from your pantry. Rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon balm, mint all work. Clemson says to “Use only the healthiest leaves or stems, discarding discolored, nibbled, crushed, or dried-out pieces of plant material.” Using a medicinal herb you don’t know well? Look it up in our plant guides first (safety notes).
• Optional extras: Peeled garlic, lemon peel or peppercorns for extra flavor.

Equipment

• Glass jar ad (pint or quart size—mason jars are perfect)
• A large pot for sterilizing the jar, and a saucepan and kitchen thermometer for heating the vinegar
• A non-corrodible lid: Clemson says to “Use non-corrodible metal or plastic screw caps”
• Fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth ad (or a coffee filter)
• Labels and a marker ad
• Optional but helpful: a small funnel ad for bottling

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Your Herbs

Clemson’s steps for fresh herbs: “Wash the fresh herbs gently, but thoroughly. Blot dry on clean paper towels.” Clemson also says to “Sanitize all fresh herbs before use when making an infused oil or flavored vinegar.” After washing and drying, “dip them in a sanitizing bleach solution of 1 teaspoon of house-hold chlorine bleach in 6 cups of water. Rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry with clean paper towels.” Never mix bleach with vinegar or any other cleaner, and open a window while you use it (CDC; safety notes).

Then prepare them for the jar, following Clemson:

• Fresh herb sprigs: “lightly bruise” them to release flavor
• Garlic: peel it, then “Cut a small slit into whole jalapeno peppers or peeled garlic cloves”
• Lemon or orange peel: “thinly remove only the colored portion, avoiding the thick white underside”
• Dried herbs: use as is; Clemson says to leave dried bay leaves whole “for easy removal”

Step 2: Pack the Jar

Sterilize the jar first. Clemson’s method: “sterilize the clean, warm jars or bottles by completely immersing them in water and boiling for 10 minutes.” Hot water can cause serious scald burns in young children (American Burn Association); our advice is to keep them away from the pot (safety notes).

Clemson says to place the herbs “into the pre-sterilized containers” and to avoid over-packing them. Per pint of vinegar, use:

• Fresh herbs: 3–4 sprigs
• Dried herbs: 3 tablespoons
• Citrus: “the peel of one lemon or orange”

Clemson suggests threading garlic cloves onto “clean, thin bamboo skewers for easy insertion and removal from jars or bottles.”

Step 3: Add Vinegar

Clemson says: “Heat measured amounts of base vinegar to just below the boiling point, or at least 190 to 195 °F. Pour the base vinegar over the flavoring ingredients in the prepared containers, leaving ¼ inch headspace.”

The American Burn Association warns that hot water, drinks and kitchen items can cause serious scald burns in young children, and says to keep hot drinks away from table and counter edges. Our advice: pour hot vinegar the same way, with kids out of reach (safety notes).

Wipe the rim with a clean, damp cloth, put the lid on tightly and let the jar “sit undisturbed to cool,” per Clemson. Use a noncorrosive lid: Oregon State says to “cover jar with a non-corrodible lid,” and Clemson recommends “non-corrodible metal or plastic screw caps.” If you use two-piece metal canning lids, Clemson says to “allow enough headspace between the lid and the vinegar to prevent contact between them” (safety notes).

Using only dried herbs? Oregon State notes that “Some people prefer to heat the vinegar to 190-195ºF, and then pour the hot vinegar over the herbs. Others like the flavor better when cold vinegar is added.” Our advice: keep that cold option for dried herbs in a sterilized jar. Fresh herbs, garlic and peel always get hot vinegar on this site.

Step 4: Label and Steep

Write the herb name and date on your jar.

Clemson says: “Store prepared vinegar in a cool, dark place. Let sit undisturbed for three to four weeks.” It adds that “At least 10 days are required for most flavors to develop.” Taste after that if you like. If the flavor ends up too strong, both extensions say you can dilute it with more of the same base vinegar.

Step 5: Strain and Bottle

When your vinegar tastes right, Oregon State says to strain it “through a damp cheesecloth, jelly bag or coffee filter one or more times until the vinegar shows no sign of cloudiness.” Discard the herbs. Our advice: don’t put the strained garlic or herbs into oil, where Clemson warns botulism can grow (safety notes).

Then, per Oregon State: “Pour strained vinegar into clean sterilized jars and cap tightly.” Oregon State says “It is best to use noncorrosive lids or new, pre-sterilized corks to seal the bottles” (safety notes). Label it again with the name and date, and move it to the refrigerator (see storage below).

Fresh vs. Dried Herbs

Clemson notes that “For best flavor, use fresh herbs picked before blossoming.”

See our guide to drying herbs.

Storage & Shelf Life

Clemson says: “Store flavored vinegars in a cool, dark place. Refrigeration is best for retention of freshness and flavors.” It also warns, “Some harmful bacteria may survive and even slowly multiply in vinegars.” And: “Store flavored vinegars in the refrigerator or a cool place and be sure to check for contamination before use.” Our advice: keep your bottles in the refrigerator.

How long they keep, in Clemson’s words: “If properly prepared and bottled, flavored vinegars should keep for up to three months in cool storage.” And: “Refrigeration of flavored vinegars may extend the quality for six to eight months. After six months, taste test the vinegar before using to make sure the flavor is still good.” Oregon State’s figure is shorter: “For best quality, use within 4-6 months.” Clemson also says to date the containers when opened and keep them tightly sealed.

When to toss it, per Clemson: “If a flavored vinegar ever has mold on or in it, or signs of fermentation (bubbling), cloudiness or sliminess, throw it away without tasting or using any of the vinegar for any purpose.”

How to Use Your Herbal Vinegars

Before each use, check the bottle. Clemson says to throw it away without tasting if it shows mold, bubbling, cloudiness or sliminess (when to toss it).

• Warm drink: Splash a little into hot water with honey. The CDC says not to give honey to a child younger than 1 (safety notes)
• Cooking: Use anywhere you’d use regular vinegar—salad dressings, marinades, finishing vegetables. Not for pickling unless it has 5% acidity, per Oregon State (safety notes)
• Make an oxymel: Honey-vinegar syrups have their own method. Our oxymel guide steeps dried herbs; fresh herbs, garlic and citrus peel go in its heated fire cider method. Oxymels contain honey, so they’re not for babies under 1 (CDC; safety notes).

Start with small amounts—these vinegars are strong!

Safety Notes

• Sterilize jars and bottles: Clemson boils them for 10 minutes.
• Bleach: the CDC says, “Never mix household bleach (or any disinfectants) with any other cleaners or disinfectants. This can release vapors that may be very dangerous to breathe in.” It also says, “Make sure you have good ventilation while using bleach products indoors (for example, open windows and doors to allow fresh air to enter)” (CDC).
• Wash, dry and sanitize fresh herbs, then pour vinegar heated to 190–195°F over them (Clemson).
• Oregon State: “For added safety, use only commercially produced vinegars.” It also says, “Flavored herb vinegar should not be used for pickle making unless it has 5% acidity level.”
• Keep vinegar off bare metal: use non-corrodible caps, and leave headspace under two-piece canning lids (Clemson).
• Lids: Oregon State says, “It is best to use noncorrosive lids or new, pre-sterilized corks to seal the bottles” (Oregon State).
• Hot liquids: “Hot water, drinks, and kitchen items can cause serious scald burns,” and “Young children’s skin burns more quickly and deeply than adults’.” The American Burn Association also says, “Keep hot drinks away from the table and counter edges” (American Burn Association). Our advice: treat the jar-sterilizing pot and the 190–195°F vinegar the same way, and keep young children out of the kitchen while you work.
• Honey: if you sweeten a drink with honey or make an oxymel, “Do not feed honey to a child who is younger than 1 year old” (CDC).
• Garlic and herbs in vinegar are not the same as in oil. Clemson’s caution: “Unlike vinegar, OILs flavored with herbs or garlic may allow the growth of the disease-causing pathogen, Clostridium botulinum.” Our advice: don’t put the strained garlic or herbs into oil.
• Oregon State: “It is important to follow directions carefully, store flavored vinegars in the refrigerator or cool places, and work in a very clean area with sanitary utensils” (Oregon State).
• Label everything clearly with ingredients and date.
• If using medicinal herbs you’re unfamiliar with, look them up in our plant guides first.

Tips for Success

A few habits make vinegar infusions easier:

• Start with small batches until you know what you like
• Keep notes on what works—you’ll want to recreate your favorites
• Try blending herbs (thyme + lemon peel is lovely)
• Label everything twice—once when you start, once when you bottle

Two Recipes to Get You Started (Plus Fire Cider)

Rosemary-Garlic Vinegar (For Everything Savory)

What you need:

• 3–4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3–4 cloves garlic, peeled, each with a small slit (our amount; Clemson gives none)
• 2 cups (1 pint) apple cider vinegar

Follow the standard method above: sterilized pint jar, washed and sanitized rosemary, garlic threaded on a bamboo skewer, vinegar heated to 190–195°F poured over with ¼ inch headspace (mind the scald risk and use a noncorrosive lid; safety notes). Steep 3–4 weeks in a cool, dark place, strain, bottle and refrigerate. This one’s perfect for roasted vegetables and salad dressings.

Thyme-Lemon Vinegar (Bright & Savory)

What you need:

• 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
• Peel of 1 lemon, colored part only (Clemson says to avoid “the thick white underside”)
• 2 cups (1 pint) distilled white or apple cider vinegar (Oregon State cautions against wine vinegars; see ingredients)

Follow the standard method above, with vinegar heated to 190–195°F (mind the scald risk and use a noncorrosive lid; safety notes). Steep 3–4 weeks in a cool, dark place, strain, bottle and refrigerate. Lovely in vinaigrettes and on roasted vegetables.

Fire Cider (Spicy Ginger-Horseradish Vinegar)

Our fire cider recipe now lives in our oxymel guide (that method adds a temperature hold; see the oxymel guide). For ingredients, steps from University of Minnesota Extension, and handling and storage notes, see our fire cider recipe. Read its safety notes before you make or drink it: they cover handling hot peppers and horseradish, who should skip horseradish, and honey for babies.

Quick Reference Table

There you have it—herbal vinegars made simple. Start with one jar this week. By next month, you’ll have your first bottle ready, and you may well be hooked. These make wonderful gifts too, but you might find yourself keeping every batch for your own kitchen.

All Preparation Method Guides