How to Make Lovage Infused Vinegar

Very Simple Ingredients

There are only two ingredients: lovage and vinegar. You want to use the best of each that you can find.

Use the good stuff, the finest you can find in your local area for the best final product.

A Simple Method

In the recipe card below, I give some specific measurements but honestly, this recipe is more a method than an exact science. Put chopped lovage leaves in a jar about half full, fill the jar with vinegar and let it infuse. 

Let this be fun – don’t worry about exact measurements or specific steps too much. 

Lovage Leaves

Obviously, lovage is the main flavor and star here. 

Use just the leaves and the smaller, younger ones if you can for the best flavor. 

Snip the leaves from the stems. Give them a rinse in the sink and then spin through a salad spinner to remove the moisture. After that, spread the leaves out onto a towel and let dry to remove as much surface water as possible. 

Once the water has evaporated, stack the leaves onto a cutting board and cut them into ribbons or give them a rough. 

A Long Infusion

The great thing about this recipe is that it only takes a few minutes of hands-on time, the rest of it is just letting all the flavors infuse with no work on your part. 

Your vinegar will need to infuse for a couple of weeks to a month. While the total time seems long, you as the maker aren’t doing much – you’re just letting it sit.

Just put the jar in a dark cabinet and let it sit. If you remember to give it a shake now and then, that’s awesome but it’ll be fine if you don’t. 

Do a small taste test after about 2 weeks – is the flavor what you like? If so, strain and bottle. If not, give it another week or two and then strain and bottle. 

Adjusting the Strength

The recipe below results in an herbal vinegar that is savory and flavorful. 

Lovage leaves have a strong, natural flavor so it’s important to remember that you can easily make it lighter or heavier as desired. Add more or less lovage to make the strength you prefer. 

Make a small and test it. Adjust the lovage accordingly (more or less) in your next batch. Do keep track in your journal of what ratio of lovage to vinegar and infusion time you like best. 

Strain

Once the vinegar has finished infusing, strain the lovage from the vinegar. Use a fine mesh sieve to keep out any small particles. 

Put the infused vinegar into a clean bottle and label it. Vinegar is a great preservative but use up the infused vinegar within a year.  

How to Use

Use lovage vinegar as you would any plain vinegar in your normal kitchen routine. Truly use the infused vinegar in any recipe that uses plain vinegar – salad dressings, barbecue sauces, soups, stews, etc.  

How to Gift

This is a great way to share your herb garden with friends that like to cook. It’s also an incredibly frugal gift that can be made months in advance to share. 

Pack a pretty glass full of the vinegar into a gift basket alongside some lovage salt and maybe a homemade pot holders for a lovely gift.