Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make homemade balsamic vinegar from scratch? ›

Quick Guide: Homemade Balsamic Vinegar

Crush Lambrusco or Trebbiano grapes to extract their juice (the “must”). Strain the must and simmer it for 2–3 days until it halves and thickens. Store it in a wooden barrel for a minimum of 12 years, transferring to a smaller barrel each year.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients

Balsamic vinegar: Of course, you'll need balsamic vinegar. Honey: A teaspoon of honey lends subtle sweetness. Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard adds complex, bold flavor. Shallot and garlic: You'll need to mince a clove of garlic and a shallot.

Here is a perfect example of a culinary ratio, one that's fairly standard: The 3-to-1 vinaigrette, or 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar.

How Long Does Homemade Vinaigrette Last? Traditional vinaigrettes, like the balsamic version listed below, will last longer—sometimes up to a few weeks. However, anything with fresh garlic should be consumed within a few days, as the combination of garlic and oil can form harmful bacteria over time.

If your balsamic is aged, made in Italy (Modena or Emilia-Reggiana Regions), and has no added caramels, flavors, sugars, or preservatives then you have found yourself a balsamic vinegar worth trying.

Traditional balsamic vinegar is made only with one ingredient — "grape must" (in Italian, "mosto"), the sweet juice of freshly pressed grapes — that is boiled to a concentrate, fermented and acidified, and aged for 12 to 25 years or longer in wood barrels.

The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For my personal taste, that's a little too oily — but it's totally up to you.

If we prepare the three most popular ingredients used to season a salad we have: oil, vinegar and salt. And interestingly, that is the order most commonly used at the time of preparing this dish. However, this is erroneous. The correct order for dressing a salad is first the salt, then the vinegar and finally the oil.

The most common emulsifiers in your kitchen are likely egg yolks, mayonnaise, prepared mustard (preferably Dijon), honey, and tomato paste (though I'm not a fan of raw tomato paste, the flavor works quite well in a vinaigrette). For a more neutral flavor, use mayonnaise.

Sims notes that unless your vinaigrette is a mixture of just oil and vinegar, refrigeration is your best bet from a food-safety standpoint. "If you add in vegetables and/or herbs, the potential growth for Clostridium botulinum becomes a factor," she said.

Can you freeze homemade balsamic vinaigrette? ›

Can I freeze balsamic vinaigrette? Technically, you can freeze it, but it's not ideal. Olive oil can solidify and change texture in the freezer, affecting the overall quality.

While refrigeration after opening is required for many pantry staples, it is not necessary for balsamic vinegar. Putting the balsamic vinegar in the fridge can potentially cause condensation to form on the inside of the bottle, diluting the flavor.

If your recipe calls for balsamic vinegar and you only have red or white wine vinegar on hand, add a little sweetener like honey or sugar to even out the taste. You can also mix one tablespoon of wine vinegar with two teaspoons of maple syrup to sweeten it naturally.

Traditional balsamic vinegar is very tightly regulated and is only made in two locations in Italy: Reggio Emilia and Modena. A special certification agency oversees the entire vinegar-making process, which takes 12-25 years from start to finish.

balsamic vinegar, substitute 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar or red wine vinegar plus ½ tsp. sugar.