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Sherry Vinegar
Mon Sherry
I had dinner at my parents this evening and at one point mentioned I was making some wine vinegar. My mother said she’d tried making sherry vinegar once and, stepping into the pantry, returned with a small Grey Poupon mustard bottle containing about three ounces of dark brown liquid the consistency of maple syrup. The strip of faded masking tape on it said, “sherry vinegar.” It was amazing stuff.
It was similar in nature to a medium-quality balsamic vinegar but different in specific flavors. Perhaps most notable were nut-like elements and a memory of the alchohol in the original sherry. The flavor was so intense it was difficult to isolate the components/
My mother said it was about five years old and apparently she hadn’t tasted it since originally making it.
I put some on coffee ice cream for dessert. It was extraordinary.
6 Responses to “Sherry Vinegar”
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Disclaimer: Most quantities in recipes are approximate. Adjust as needed according to your taste and experience. Unless otherwise specified, eggs are large and butter is unsalted.
Very cool. I think we both share a love for Spanish cooking, and Sherry Vinegar is a staple. I have a few really good ones that I purchased, but now I want to make some. The way you described it’s viscosity makes me think of the long aged Balsamics. Does your mother remember how she made it? Or what type of Sherry she used?
Danno,I’ve about given up on balsamic vinegar. The good stuff is just too damned expensive and the poor stuff is, well, poor. Good sherry vinegar (the commercial kind)is a better choice than poor balsamica.That said, the stuff my mother made was a lot like the best balsamica’s I’ve had. My mother doesn’t remember the sherry she used, but to make it she just filled the jar (so half of it had evaporated by the time I tried it) with sherry and added some mother that had formed on another vinegar.Then she forgot about it for five years — which strikes me as the real trick.Kevin
Thanks for pointing me in this direction! I love pomegranate molasses on ice cream. This sounds very similar.
Kevin – that’s it??? I’ve been looking for a kosher sherry vinegar for so long. I gave up and began to research making my own. What I have found is so complicated! Sterilizing, and covering, and changing… I have mother from Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar – would that work? This I could try – though it would be great if anyone knew of a kosher sherry vinegar so I wouldn’t have to wait so long to make my salad dressing! Waiting to know… Debbie
how do I ge a ‘mother’ to make sherry vinegar?
Brian,
You can probably find a mail-order source on the Web.