Remember the Vinegar Ladies? Back in the late 1990s, Dixie Anderson of Alpine and Tami Feulner of Sandy were the stars of local women's club meetings and Relief Society homemaking nights. Under their tutelage, plain-Jane vinegar was quickly transformed into bottled sophistication, dolled up with herbs, berries and fruit.
Having a decanter of infused vinegar on your kitchen counter became almost as big a craft fad as those resin grapes of the '60s.
For several years, Anderson and Feulner traveled up and down the Wasatch Front giving 20 or more classes a week and recruited friends (called "the Vinaigrettes") to teach even more classes.
Their love for vinegar never soured, but the duo became "burned out." The phones constantly rang; people came day and night to buy or deliver supplies. Their garages were stacked with pallets of bottles. And there was the delivery truck that dropped 1,500 bottles in Anderson's driveway, resulting in a major clean-up of smashed glass.
"It was hard to give up the business, because it was very lucrative, but we were working 70 or 80 hours a week," said Anderson. "It was hard on our families."
So the Vinegar Ladies retired to their own kitchens for a few years, until a publisher approached them about compiling their recipes in a book.
The result is "Kitchen Secrets of the Vinegar Ladies" (Silverleaf Press, $14.95). The first part tells how to make 17 different tart and tangy vinegars, plus variations. The second part tells you how to use those flavored vinegars, with recipes from appetizers to desserts.
For instance, the Provencal Vinegar — one of the duo's all-time favorites — is an ingredient in Bow Tie Pasta Salad, Company Chili, Deep Fried Mushrooms and Provencal Pot Roast.
The Garden Blend Vinegar — "So good I can swig it straight from the bottle," says Feulner — is used in Country Potato Salad, Herbed Stuffing and Turkey Noodle Soup.
Anderson notes that other cookbooks on the market use flavored vinegars. "But they are what I call 'Martha Stewart' recipes; they're wonderful if you're having people over and want to make a really impressive dinner. But we wanted recipes that we could fix every night for our families."
In the book, Anderson and Feulner share their know-how. By trial and error, they found that drying fruit made it pliable enough to roll up and squeeze through the bottle neck. They also learned from their failures.
"I will never suggest watermelon vinegar to anybody — it stunk my house up for weeks," said Feulner.
Here are some pointers for making and using flavored vinegars:
A dish that includes vinegar doesn't have to taste sour.
"The whole recipe doesn't have to taste like vinegar," Anderson said. "Adding just a little bit makes the other flavors pop."
"It enhances the flavors of everything else in the recipe, even in things like ice cream and cake," said Feulner. "There's nothing better than balsamic vinegar over strawberries with a little sugar on it. It makes your taste buds come to attention."
But the secret is to use just a little, she said. "You can always add more vinegar, but you can't take it out."
Feulner added that the book's pot roast recipe calls for a "drizzle" — about an eighth of a cup — of Provencal Vinegar. "One lady told me her roast tasted horrible, but she had used about 1 1/2 cups of vinegar."
Infused vinegar is fairly safe to make.
Vinegar's acidity keeps bacteria from growing.
"Before we had refrigeration, that's how people preserved their food, by pickling it," Anderson pointed out.
Even so, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Extension Service recommended the added precautions of heating the vinegar to a simmer (but not boiling) before pouring it in the bottles; and after the vinegar steeps for a few weeks to let the flavor develop, it should be strained and poured into a clean, sterilized jar, said Teresa Hunsaker, a home economist with Utah State University Extension in Weber County. "What happens is the vinegar will eventually break down the herb or berry to the point that it gets slimy and mushy and puts a sediment in the bottle so it doesn't hold nicely for a long time," she said.
Infused oils, on the other hand, are more of a food safety risk. A number of botulism cases have been traced to garlic-and-oil mixtures, according to an Extension Service bulletin. Flavored oils should always be kept refrigerated and used within a few days.
Some decorative vinegars sold in kitchenware stores are only for looks. "They are labeled right on the bottle, 'Not for human consumption,' " said Anderson. "They may have preservatives in them to keep the colors bright, or too many other ingredients and not a lot of vinegar."
With its acidity, flavored vinegar keeps sliced fruits, such as apples and pears, from turning brown.
"It does the same thing that lemon juice does," said Anderson. "We have a Banana Poppy Seed Dressing recipe that makes delicious fruit dip, and the vinegar keeps the bananas from going brown."
Red and white wine vinegars are favored for infusing.
Feulner and Anderson say balsamic and malt vinegars are too dark to show off the other ingredients. Apple cider and sherry vinegar are too overpowering to use as a base. Distilled vinegar is better for household cleaning. Champagne vinegar "would make a wonderful base vinegar if it weren't so darned expensive," they write.
Vinegar is best stored in glass bottles.
They can be found at dollar stores, or recycle empty wine bottles (you can buy new corks in hardware stores). Don't store it in canning jars with metal lids — "the vinegar will corrode the metal and develop a nasty flavor," they write. Also, use a stainless steel pan when heating vinegar, as it will corrode aluminum.
You will also need a funnel to pour in the vinegar and a long wooden skewer to help push the other ingredients in the bottle.
The Vinegar Ladies suggest storing the finished bottles away from direct sunlight. "Although the the bottles may look beautiful on your windowsill, they may develop a cloudy, undesirable appearance."
PROVENCAL VINEGAR
A splash of this vinegar complements red meat, Italian sauces and vinaigrettes.
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1 sprig fresh basil
1 or 2 fresh bay leaves
2 fresh garlic cloves (peeled)
1 orange peel strip (about 1-by-4 inches)
16 ounces red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns (mixed colored)
Place all herbs into a clean bottle. Carefully add the peppercorns, garlic and orange peel. Add the vinegar. Cork tightly. Store the vinegar 10 days before using. Makes 1 bottle.
— "Kitchen Secrets of the Vinegar Ladies"
HOT PEPPER VINEGAR
Caution: Wear latex gloves when cutting the peppers, and don't rub your face or eyes.
16 ounces white wine vinegar
2 red chile peppers (halved)
2 green jalapeno peppers (halved)
1 orange habanero pepper (halved)
1 yellow chile pepper (halved)
2 green Serrano peppers
3 sprigs fresh cilantro
2 green olives
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns (mixed colored)
3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
Cut peppers and alternately add to bottle to create a nice mixture. Add peppercorns, cilantro, olives and garlic. Pour in vinegar to fill bottle. Cork tightly. Let sit about 10 days to infuse. Makes 1 bottle.
— "Kitchen Secrets of the Vinegar Ladies"
GARDEN SALSA
This makes a fairly mild salsa. For more kick, add a little more Hot Pepper Vinegar.
2 30-ounce cans ready-cut tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup Hot Pepper Vinegar
4 green onions, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 medium Anaheim chiles, chopped but not seeded
Place the tomatoes in a blender. Using the pulse button, pulse two times and no more, so that tomatoes are slightly blended but chunky. Pour tomatoes into a large bowl. Add cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, salt, brown sugar and vinegar. Mix well. Add chopped green and yellow onions and chiles. Mix well. Chill. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
— "Kitchen Secrets of the Vinegar Ladies"
PROVENCAL VINAIGRETTE
2/3 cup Provencal Vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 packages dry Caesar salad dressing mix (or 2 packages dry Italian salad dressing mix plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese)
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (chopped)
1 15-ounce can peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Combine all ingredients in blender and mix well. Chill in refrigerator. Makes about 4 cups.
—"Kitchen Secrets of the Vinegar Ladies"
BOW TIE PASTA SALAD
1 16-ounce bag bow tie pasta, cooked and drained according to package directions
1 16-ounce bag frozen peas, thawed
1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole small black olives, drained
1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1 pint basket (2 cups) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup real bacon bits
1 cup Provencal Vinaigrette
Allow pasta to cool. Add remaining ingredients and toss gently. Refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to serving. Serves 10.
— "Kitchen Secrets of the Vinegar Ladies"
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com