How to make Balsamic Vinegar from Spruce Trees

I'm not fancy, but I've got a confession. I really like balsamic vinegar! Fifty bucks a bottle is too steep, but the grocery store vinaigrette just doesn't cut it. So what's a person to do? I say -- Hey, start picking from my spruce trees!

In this video, I show how I make some great balsamic vinegar from my spruce trees and I show some ways that I'm using my spruce tree balsamic vinegar to get the most out the the spruce flavor. Is this spruce tree balsamic vinegar any good? Well, I entered it into my county fair and got a blue ribbon. The judges said it was "Delicious!".

The spruce tree balsamic vinegar is really easy to make. It uses the new spring growth of any spruce tree. To find out more about identifying and picking spruce, check out my earlier video in the link below. The resin in the spruce needles substitutes for the flavors from the wooden barrels used to make traditional balsamic vinegar.

I chopped up 2 cups of the spruce tips and put them into a jar. Then I covered the spruce tips with 2 cups of apple cider vinegar. I added 10 peppercorns and 2 Tablespoons of honey. That's it: 2 c. spruce tips, 2 c. apple cider vinegar, 10 peppercorns, and 2 T. honey. Then in closed the jar, turned in a few times. I kept it in the dark and turned the jar every few days. By the time it got to the county fair, my spruce tree balsamic vinegar had aged about 3 months.

How am I using the spruce tree balsamic vinegar? Just like any balsamic vinegar, with a nice olive oil. But there's a bonus, too. The marinated spruce tips are great on their own, for example, chopped up and used to top some nice cheese. I also use them to marinate some homegrown vegetables, like heritage tomatoes, sweet onions, and bell peppers. And apples grilled with the marinated spruce tips and the spruce tree balsamic vinegar are so good that I'll be doing a separate video on that!

Now, balsamic vinegar purists may note that real balsamic vinegar is made with grape juice and not apple cider vinegar. Well, next year I will be adding some home canned grape juice to the recipe, so stay tuned. Or you try it and let me know how it turns out!

Hope things are going well and your place. Thanks for watching!

Spruce trees: Genus Picea, Pine family (Pineaceae)

My video on foraging spruce trees' new spring growth: youtu.be/CF97dTQIQqY

My playlist on foraging for wild foods: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEGN8kE_KnjBHba1wyw5…

My channel: Haphazard Homestead: youtube.com/channel/UCcZCvPPU9dgxD0yXrc9DaPA

Music: Jazz Piano Bar. Doug Maxwell, Media Right Productions. from the free YouTube Audio Library.

Adapted photos:
1. Balsamic vinegar: photo by jules flickr.com/photos/stone-soup/4852551270
Used under CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

2. Kraft dressing: photo by Mike Mozart flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/15174997476
Used under CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/