High-Calcium Herbal Vinegar

[Paula]

I'm taking a monthly class on herbal remedies, and this time we
learned how to make herbal vinegars. I always thought you would do
this for flavor (soak strawberries in balsamic for a month, anybody?
It's fantastic) but it turns out there's a health reason too- vinegar
takes the minerals out of what sits in it, unlike teas or alcohol, two
common steeping liquids. According to my class, a tablespoon of this
vinegar has 150-200mg of calcium, which is comparable to a whole glass
of milk. And it's easy!

Loosely fill a quart jar with any of the following fresh plants,
roughly chopped. Top off the jar with apple cider vinegar, preferably
Bragg's unpasteurized. Let it sit for a month or two, then strain and
squeeze it very well through muslin or a piece of old, low-count
sheet. You can also keep a jar going on the counter, adding vegetable
scraps as you cook. Just keep the liquid level higher than the plants
to prevent mold.

cabbage
dandelion leaves and root
kale
lambsquarter
all mints incl sage, motherwort, lemon balm, lavender, peppermint, etc
parsley
raspberry leaves
red clover
violet leaves
**if you pick any of these outside, MAKE SURE there's no pesticides or
animal waste on them!!

Clean eggshells (clean out the 'skin' inside) or clean bones also
work. Eggshells will fizz when the vinegar first encounters them, so
leave space in your jar.

You can also add other things for other minerals; for example, spinach
has a high iron content.

Drink a tablespoon daily, or add it to you salads or other cold
cooking. You can also mix it with honey so it tastes better, this is
called a honigar! Too much vinegar can upset your digestive tract, but
a tablespoon a day should be just fine for most people.