Raspberry vinegar olives

Every Christmas we get a hamper from our friends. A bottle of raspberry vinegar appeared one year and at a loss as to what to do with it, I poured it into a half empty jar of olives. What a result… a happy marinating accident. You can buy raspberry vinegar but the flavour will be better if you make your own. You know how busy you are.

INGREDIENTS

100g raspberries, fresh or frozen

280ml white wine vinegar

30g caster sugar

700g pitted black olives

215ml extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

Discard any raspberries that are past their best. Place in a bowl and pour over the vinegar. Stir, mash with a fork, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 5 days.

Pass the raspberries through a fine sieve, letting the vinegar drip into a small non-aluminium saucepan. Either throw the raspberries away or use to marinate pork chops. Add the sugar to the vinegar and heat until boiling. Quickly turn down the heat so it’s barely simmering. Don’t continue to boil whatever you do. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. You should have about 235 ml of vinegar.

Drain the brine from the olives. Add a third of the raspberry vinegar to each jar and then top up with olive oil until all the olives are covered and the liquid is almost to the top. Screw the lids back on and give them a shake. Pop a little label on them saying not to eat for at least a month to let the flavours develop. Store in the fridge (the oil will solidify – worry not) though allow the olives to come to room temperature before eating for optimum flavour.

#normalmum #raspberries #vinegar #blackolives