Four Thieves Vinegar & Vinaigrette
Variations of this recipe have been treasured since Medieval times when it is said that a band of thieves raided the homes of plague victims, protected only by an herbal-infused vinegar formula the robbers had concocted. The herbs they used in this tale vary from story to story, but many well-known immunity boosters and anti-microbial herbs can be combined to create this potent medicinal preparation. This Four Thieves vinegar formula can be taken by the spoonful, added to water, used in place of regular vinegar in many recipes, or as a surface cleaning agent.
Turning this classic remedy into a delicious salad dressing helps the medicine go down easy and has become one of my favorite ways to use it! I go a bit lighter on the herbs when making a dressing, but you can increase the amount of each herb to 1 tablespoon for an extra medicinal kick. If you are using fresh herbs, chop them up and fill the jar 1/2 full. Then fill the rest of the jar with vinegar, infuse for a month, and strain.
Four Thieves Vinegar & Vinaigrette Recipe
Ingredients
1 tbsp organic sage leaf
1 tsp organic lavender flowers
1 tsp organic rosemary leaf
½ tsp organic thyme leaf
½ tsp organic peppercorns
16oz raw organic apple cider vinegar
Directions
Place the herbs in a pint jar and fill to the top with gently warmed apple cider vinegar. You don’t want to boil the vinegar, just heat it on low for a few minutes until it reaches the temperature of warm bath water. This will help get the extraction process going. Close with a plastic lid or place a piece of natural parchment paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal. Allow to extract for four weeks. Next, strain the vinegar into a clean glass jar.
For the vinaigrette
organic extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of organic garlic, crushed
prepared mustard (easy recipe here!)
Salt and pepper
Directions:
To make the vinaigrette, mix together 1 part vinegar, 3 parts olive oil, and 1/2 part prepared mustard. Add crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Whirl the mixture together in a blender until combined or shake vigorously in a capped glass jar.
