pear vinegar

I've been patiently waiting to publish this post.

Some things - good things - take time to reach their optimum level of perfection.

This would be one such thing.

Vinegars take time to age & mature. You can't just dump ingredients into water & expect it to become miraculous over night. The microbes & magic need their time to work, & they really do take their slow, sweet, leisurely time!

I can tell you how this all came about though. I have been hired over at a boutique hotel here on Syros, to be the amazing in house chef. I've got the morning shift, serving up breakfast, brunch & pastries...

Can you tell I'm stoked?

Any way, in the process of designing the menu (all food items were done by a michelin-star chef, all cocktails & desserts will be by me) the chef designing the menu asked me to whip up a pear vinegar to be incorporated into the menu....

So here it is. The fruits of my labor (so to speak).

Ingredients: - 1Kg pear scraps (skins & cores), chopped - 200g apple scraps, chopped - 18g (2 tbs) black pepper corns - 1 sprig of thyme - 60ml (0.25 cups) apple cider vinegar - 2 tbs raw honey - 200g (1 cup) sugar - 4 lt (16 cups//1 gallon) water

Directions: 1. leave the pear & apple scraps out for an hour to dry & turn brown. 2. place the pear, apple, black pepper, thyme & apple cider vinegar in a large jar that fits at least 5lt of fluid (or divide everything evenly between several jars) 3. in a large pot, place the honey, sugar & water. Heat until the sugar & honey have completely dissolved. Do not heat any longer. 4. pour the sugar water into the jar containing the fruit & spices. Cover the jar with a piece of cloth secured with a rubber band. Store in a cool dark place for 2 months. 5. the mixture should be gently stirred once a day. NEVER use anything with metal to stir it. In fact, never let metal come into contact with it. 6. once the vinegar has aged sufficiently, strain out all the bits & bottle the liquid up nicely. Again, you don't want to use anything with metal as it will rust & spoil the vinegar.

Tips: *** for the pear/apple scraps, either save them over time as you eat the fruit & just freeze them until you have enough. Or, I usually buy a couple kilos of fresh pears, chop them up for the freezer. I can pull them out at any point later on & use them in baking, cooking, or for smoothies. *** *** the vinegar "mother" (the gelatinous disc that has formed in the bottom of the jar) can be stored in the fridge & used to start new vinegars. ***

If you're wondering what else I keep in my kitchen, here's a list of the basics.

Tools/ Equipment/ Machinery/ Ingredients:

Machinery:

Electric Scale - Etekcity - http://amzn.to/2xkKpQk

Hand Mixer - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2xkjowh

Stand Mixer - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2yqXPiH

Candy Thermometer - Etekcity - http://amzn.to/2xklw7k

Food Processor - Cuisinart - http://amzn.to/2xkkZqK

Blender - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2xXQgwU

Tools:

Silicone Spatula - Zyliss - http://amzn.to/2y3Srkw

Chef's Knife 8" - Miyabi - http://amzn.to/2fUtyRK

Pots & Pans:

Cast Iron Skillet 12" - Lodge - http://amzn.to/2fMHb1x Cast Iron Pot 5.5 Quart - La Cocotte Staub - http://amzn.to/2fUqxAG

Cast Iron Grill Skillet 10.5" - Lodge - http://amzn.to/2z2GPwi

Cake tins & Pie Plates:

Bunt Pan - Nordic Ware - http://amzn.to/2xjGB1N

Square Cake Tin - Patisse - http://amzn.to/2xkn5Ce

Springform cake tin 22cm (9”) - Farberware - http://amzn.to/2xkdQ4T

Ceramic Pie Plate- Emile Henry - http://amzn.to/2gex5qR

Cupcake Tin - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2xkp4GG

Tart Tin Loose Bottom 9.5” - Patisse - http://amzn.to/2xje3u2

Decorating Equipment:

Non-Slip Pipping Bags - Pastry Gear - http://amzn.to/2fLxAZ0

Pipping Tips - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2yJVPy1

Food Gels - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2kpOCky

Fondant Smoother - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2xkyZRl

Fondant Modelling Tools - Happisland - http://amzn.to/2xjOWSV Fondant Rolling Pin - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2xkbLe5

Fondant Rolling Mat - The Mat - http://amzn.to/2y2bg76

Ingredients:

Active Dry Yeast - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2gcC2R4

Almond Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xkP3xI

Arrow root - Bob’s Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2ycT0WF

Baking Powder - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xkJz5U

Bicarbonate of Soda - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2yL7Lj4

Brown Rice Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2z1MUt1

Buckwheat Flour - Anthony’s Organic - http://amzn.to/2xjRS6T

Cocoa Powder - Valrhona - https://amzn.to/2ouIwlr Coconut Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xkAHNX

Flaxseed Meel - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2ybK0Rm

Millet flour - Bob’s Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2iBZqYw

Oat Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2fNUuyZ

Potato Starch - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2yKpYgH

Quinoa Flour - Amisa Organic - https://amzn.to/2oyWVg9 Sorghum Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2yClSf5 Sweet White Rice Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2y2xmXK

Tapioca Starch - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xjv879

Vanilla Extract Organic - Simply Organic - http://amzn.to/2xXdt2e

Vanilla Beans - Vanilla Products - http://amzn.to/2yLMqWQ

White Flour GF - Dove's Farm - http://amzn.to/2z1b5I1​

Xanthan Gum - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2zoYxuC

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#tools #equipment #machinery #baking #cooking #fondant #modelingtools