Summer is a great time to be making special vinegars that you can use for the rest of the year for salad dressings or sprinkled on your cooked greens for a wonderful nutritional boost. Some people say that vinegar, rich in enzymes and potassium, help to build a healthy immune system and aids in digestion by keeping a healthy PH balance. Vinegar is also good at extracting both the nutritional and medicinal components from plants. So, for an added benefit, collect your favorite herbs this summer, both for flavor and medicinal benefits, and place in a large jar. Then fill the jar with apple cider vinegar, cover and let sit for 6 weeks before straining the plant material. Don't forget that vinegar can rust a metal lid, so if you can, use a plastic lid and glass jar. I'm going to be collecting burdock, yellow dock and dandelion roots to add to my vinegar for a healthy tonic I can use through out the year. Enjoy your summer!
