Herbal vinegars occupy a curious position in home herbalism: they are among the oldest preparation methods (vinegar-based medicines appear in the Greek medical texts), they extract a different profile of plant constituents than either water or alcohol, they are naturally shelf-stable without added preservatives, and yet they are considerably less commonly made than tinctures or teas. This guide aims to correct that.
Why Vinegar as a Menstruum
Apple cider vinegar (ideally raw and containing “the mother”) is mildly acidic, and this acidity makes it particularly good at extracting alkaloids, minerals, and certain constituents that are less available in water or standard alcohol extractions. For mineral-rich herbs like nettles and cleavers, vinegar extracts a more bioavailable mineral profile than water alone. For aromatic and volatile herbs, it captures different (though overlapping) constituents from an alcohol tincture. It is also a practical choice for anyone who does not use alcohol in herbal preparations.
The Basic Method
Fill a clean glass jar (metal lids react with vinegar, so either use a plastic lid or place parchment between the jar and a metal lid) with your chosen fresh or dried herb to about half-full. Pour raw apple cider vinegar over the herb until the jar is full. Cap and shake. Leave to macerate for four to six weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking every few days. Strain, pressing the herb firmly, and bottle in labeled dark glass. The vinegar preserves the preparation for at least a year.
The Best Herbs for Vinegar
Nettles vinegar is extraordinarily mineral-rich and can be taken by the tablespoon as a daily mineral tonic, added to salad dressings, or stirred into warm water. Elderberry vinegar captures the berries’ anthocyanins in a pleasant, mildly sharp preparation appropriate for immune and culinary use. Fire cider is the most famous herbal vinegar: a combination of horseradish, garlic, ginger, onion, chili, and warming herbs in apple cider vinegar, macerated for a month and taken by the tablespoon as a warming immune tonic. Rosemary vinegar is beautiful for culinary use and for hair rinses, as rosemary’s circulation-improving properties are well extracted in vinegar.
The Herbalist Codex app has profiles on the classic vinegar herbs and the history of vinegar-based preparations in Western medicine, from the ancient Greek oxymels through to contemporary practice.