Pine Infused Vinegar

The mountainside where we live is just below a pine forest, so I have access to an abundance of this lovely herb. There are many wonderful ways to work with pine, but one of my favorites is to make an infused vinegar.

Pine needles (Pinus spp.) have a number of health boosting properties, which are imparted into the vinegar. They are rich in vitamin C and are a source of other nutrients, such as potassium and magnesium, and antioxidants. They also have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and expectorant effects.

Pine vinegar is simple to make and is a great multi-purpose ingredient to have on hand.

Pine vinegar is incredibly versatile and can be used for everything from natural hair care, to non-toxic household cleaner, to salad dressing! Here’s a few ideas of ways to use pine vinegar:

• Hair rinse — astringent and cleansing pine is great for hair! Some sources say that it even promotes hair growth.
• Salad dressing — pine vinegar adds a complex herbal, tart flavor to vinaigrettes.
• Natural surface cleaner — pine infused vinegar makes a great multi-surface household cleaner! I love it for cleaning kitchen & bathroom counters, mirrors, windows, and more!
• BBQ sauce — pine vinegar adds a really unique depth of flavor to condiments. Last year I used it to make a festive pine barbecue sauce to accompany the ribs we had for Christmas dinner
• Laundry — pine infused vinegar helps to eliminate odors & removes stains without the toxic additives found in conventional laundry products
• Facial toner — this may not be for everyone, but folks with oily skin in particular, can find a toner made with pine vinegar helpful for balancing the pH of skin and removing excess oil

References

Novak, Jiri & David, Dušek & Kacálek, D. & Slodicak, Marian. (2017). Analysis of biomass in young Scots pine stands as a basis for sustainable forest management in Czech lowlands. Journal of Forest Science. 63. 555-561. 10.17221/136/2017-JFS.