If you have fresh thyme growing in your garden, don’t let it go to waste! Homemade Thyme Vinegar is an easy way to preserve that fresh herb and turn it into something useful for your kitchen.
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Thyme-infused vinegar has a lovely savory flavor that works beautifully in salad dressings, marinades, sauces, and homemade vinaigrettes.
It’s also a pretty addition to a collection of homemade flavored vinegars and makes a thoughtful gift from the kitchen.
And if you grow your own herbs, this is a great way to use up a harvest when you have more thyme than you know what to do with.
What You Need
- 1–2 cups fresh thyme
- 2 cups white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 clean pint-size mason jar
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Funnel
- Clean glass bottle or jar for storing
Tip: White wine vinegar gives the thyme a lighter, delicate flavor, while apple cider vinegar gives it a slightly sweeter, more rustic flavor.
How to Make Thyme Vinegar
1. Prepare the thyme
Gently rinse the fresh thyme and pat it completely dry.
It’s important that the herbs are as dry as possible before adding them to the vinegar.
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2. Add the thyme to the jar
Place the fresh thyme in a clean mason jar.
You can leave the sprigs whole, or gently bruise them with your fingers to help release some of their flavor.
3. Add the vinegar
Pour the vinegar over the thyme, making sure all of the herbs are completely submerged.
Put the lid on the jar and give it a gentle shake.
4. Let it infuse
Store the jar in a cool, dark place for about 2–4 weeks.
Give the jar a gentle shake every few days.
The vinegar will gradually take on the flavor and aroma of the thyme.
5. Strain and bottle
When you’re happy with the flavor, strain the vinegar through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the thyme.
Use a funnel to pour the finished vinegar into a clean bottle or jar.
Add a pretty label and you’re done!
How to Use Thyme Vinegar
There are so many ways to use homemade thyme vinegar.
Try it in:
- Homemade salad dressings
- Vinaigrettes
- Marinades
- Sauces
- Roasted vegetable dishes
- Potato salads
- Bean salads
- Grain salads
- Homemade herb dressings
I especially love the idea of using it in a simple vinaigrette with olive oil, a little Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
Thyme Vinegar as a Homemade Gift
Flavored vinegars make beautiful gifts from the kitchen.
Pour your finished vinegar into a pretty glass bottle, add a label, tie on a little ribbon or twine, and you’ve got a simple homemade gift.
You could even make a small gift basket with several different flavored vinegars.
More Homemade Flavored Vinegars
If you enjoy making your own flavored vinegars, try these other recipes from Creative Homemaking:
- Lemon Rosemary Vinegar — a bright, citrusy herb vinegar that’s wonderful for salad dressings.
- Basil Vinegar — a delicious way to preserve fresh basil from the garden.
- Rosemary Vinegar — perfect for homemade vinaigrettes and marinades.
- Tarragon Vinegar — one of my favorite herb-infused vinegars for homemade salad dressing.
And if you’re building a collection of homemade gifts from the kitchen, don’t stop with vinegar!
Homemade flavored oils and seasoned salts are another great way to use fresh herbs and create useful pantry gifts.
A Simple Way to Preserve Fresh Herbs
I love recipes like this because they don’t require anything complicated. A handful of fresh thyme and a bottle of vinegar can become something you’ll use all year long.
And once you start making flavored vinegars, it’s hard to stop at just one.
Try a few different herbs and combinations and build your own collection of homemade flavored vinegars.
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