Sea buckthorn berries, those precious orange gems are considered to be a super fruit. They are an excellent source of vitamins C, A, K and B complex and they are also packed with amino acids, essential fatty acids, minerals and oligoelemenets. Sea buckthorn berries have antibiotic, anti-inflamatory and immunostimulant properties.
When they are in season, my favorite ways to include them in my diet are smoothies and apple – sea buckthorn pies. But since I want to benefit from their properties all year round, I like to preserve them in vinegar (I usually use apple cider vinegar), which I use to season various dishes, from simple salads to hummus, pasta dishes or vegetable stews. This way I get to enjoy both its pleasant flavor and its healing properties.
Ingredients:
- 5% aplle cider vinegar
- 100 – 150g sea buckthorn berries
Method:
- Place the sea buckthorn berries in a large bowl and make sure to pick only the healthy berries. Carefully rinse them in cold water 3 – 4 times and leave them to drain in a colander.
- Place them on a paper-lined plate and let them dry for 2 – 3 for hours.
- Preheat the oven at 180C / 350 F (gas mark 4). When the berries look dry, sterilize the jar.
- If your jar has a rubber seal, remove it. Clean the jar in hot soapy water and rinse it. While the jar is still wet, place it on a tray and sterilize it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes remove the tray from the oven and leave it aside to cool down.
- Sterilize the rubber seal as well by boiling it in a saucepan for 1 – 2 minutes. Carefully remove it from the boiling water and place it on a towel.
- When the jar is cool enough to handle, attach the rubber seal. Place the berries in the jar.
- Heat the vinegar just below the boiling point and let it cool down for a few minutes. Pour the vinegar in the jar and seal the jar.
- Leave the vinegar to infuse it in a dark cupboad (or on a shelf in your pantry) for 3 – 4 weeks.
Source: www.seabuckthorninsider.com
