The Colorado statesman., 1923-07-21
EXCELLENT VINEGAR
FROM RASPBERRIES
# Properly Preserved 1t win Re-
tain Flavor Indefinitely.

Prepared by the United States Department
of Agriculture)
An excellent vinegar may be made
| rom raspberrles which will retain in
| definitely the odor and flavor If prop
/ erly preserved. Experiments carried
out in the bureau of chemistry of the
| United States Department of Agri-
| culture, have shown that this deli
clous vinegar can be made in the home
when the garden affords liberal sup
ply Of this fruit.
Vinegar made from raspberries is
| dark in color. Samples made in the
bureau of chemistry and properly bot
| tied were found after three years to
have retained not only the original
degree of acidity but the odor and
flavor. In salads and other table deli
cacies the raspberry flavor is very
agreeable. refreshing hot-weather
drink can be prepared by adding
small amount of this vinegar to water.
and Icing and sweetening to taste.
Two fermentations, the alcoholic and
| the acetic, are necessary in making
vinegar. The method Is as follows:
Use ordinary straight-sided open
topped stone jars as receptlcles. With
the aid of a potato masher, mash up
eight quarts of good, ripe raspberries
of either red or black variety. Stir
thoroughly into this mash one.half
cake of compressed yeast which has
first been macerated in small amount
of the Juice. Let jar stand In warm
place (about 10 degrees F.) and keep
covered either with lid or with cheese
cloth to protect from insects. Stir
we'll every day. About one week Is re-
qulred to complete the alcoholic fer
mentation. The time needed to util-
ize the sugar in the berries completely
may be determined by one of two
methods: ID Weigh the jar carefully
each day and record the weight; when
loss of weight ceases, the fermenta-
ton is complete; (2) test some of the
Juice daily with a BriX or Balling
hydrometer. The reading of juice
suitable for making a satisfactory
vinegar should not be less than 1O. AS
the fermentation proceeds, this VIII
decrease daily until it is not more
than ! or 2, which indicates that the
sugar has practically all been utilized.
The action of the yeasts on the
cells makes it easy to separate the
Juice from the berries, squeezing 1t by
hand through cheesecloth. The juice
is then returned to the jar; and, TO
insure a proper acetic fermentation,
small amount Of vinegar should be
added as a starter. An unpasteurized
vinegar is best for this purpose, but
II this is not at hand, use any gooc
vinegar in the proportion of l part
TO 4 of the fermented juice. Cover as
before and allow TO stand without
agitation in a warm place. A scum
or film will soon form. This should
not be disturbed.
The acetic fermentation sometimes
takes place very rapidly where berries
are used. The acidity should be de-
termined daily by withdrawing a small
amount of the vinegar by means or
suction through plpette or glass tube
and submitting 1t to test by the use
of vinegar tester, or in the absence
of this, determining by the taste when
II is sufficiently acid. AS soon as the
vinegar reaches proper degree OF
acidlty ut should contain per cent
acetic acid), the fermenting-process
should be stopped. This Is done py
first flltering through paper or litter
ing-cloth. and bottling. Bottles should
be well filed and sealed tightly with
paraffined corks.