Homemade Cherry Vinegar Recipe

Sometimes I have in my head a scene where I put a cherry in front of a duck and tell that duck* that it and the cherry are meant for each other. The imagined scene often ends with the duck giving me an indignant stare, holding up the middle pointy end of one of its webbed feet. Yet, I figure, with or without an approving quack from our feathered friend, this is definitely a case of anyone of us knowing better than the duck: duck and cherries go together.

And the reason I mentioned duck is because the making of this cherry vinegar was undeniably duck-induced.

The fact that the cherry season is approaching was certainly part of the reason I stayed up late one night making vinegar, but the main driving force was -- believe me -- an inexplicable craving for a salad with duck confit.


Tender, melt-in-your-mouth duck confit is great atop anything. I'll spare you a long and boring story, but let's just say that I once ate duck confit served on a paper-lined inverted Frisbee®. And I will testify under oath in any court that it tasted phenomenal. But if I could have my say, I would prefer to have it served on a bed of fresh field greens, lightly dressed with a simple vinaigrette. And if that vinaigrette could also be made of cherry vinegar, that would also be a major cause for gratitude.

Using my go-to cranberry vinegar recipe from Blue Ribbon Preserves by Linda J. Amendt as the guide, I came up with this sweeter variation.


Downloadable Version

• In a nonreactive pot, heat up 4 cups of white balsamic vinegar** until it starts to simmer; remove the pot from heat right away. Do not let the vinegar boil.
• Let it cool 10 minutes.
• In a blender, liquefy 3 cups of pitted fresh cherries with the vinegar.
• Funnel the cherry-vinegar mixture into a very clean wide-mouthed jar. There will be foam; don't worry. The foam will subside within a few hours.
• Cover the jar opening with two pieces of plastic wrap, stretched taut. Screw the top on.
• Leave the jar in a cold, dark place for two weeks, shaking the jar once a day.
• After two weeks, strain the vinegar through a cheesecloth-lined colander. If you want the vinegar to be crystal clear, strain it twice more through a colander lined with a coffee filter (I didn't do this).
• The cherry vinegar is now ready to be stored in any nonreactive container of your choice and used in a recipe. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

*Of course, I have to talk to the duck! You think I'm crazy enough to talk to a cherry?

**I tried rice vinegar and didn't like it. If you like rice vinegar, go for it. Try to stick with colorless vinegars, though, as you want the color of the cherries to come through. I love white balsamic the best.