Blood Orange Syrup & Vinegar

I was given a small bag of blood oranges and a grapefruit from a friend's yard last week. And not wanting to waste such a gift (one of my favorite aspects of living in San Diego is all the fresh fruit available for free or nearly so. More to come on that subject...) I made some blood orange syrup and with the rinds I started a batch of blood orange vinegar.

Blood Orange syrup

6-8 blood oranges
1 small grapefruit
4 key limes (or any limes)
1 cup brown sugar

I juiced all the citrus and ended up with about 400ml (about 1.75 cups). I strained the juice in to a non-reactive pan, stirred in the sugar and brought it to a boil. I simmered for 5 minutes, then strained again into small canning jars. Wiped the rims, put the lids and bands on, then processed in a water bath for 10 minutes.

AND...

*Preview of my Fermentation Class, April 17th at the Center for Living Peace, Irvine, CA*

With the citrus skins I started a batch of blood orange vinegar.

Blood Orange Vinegar

Rinds from all the citrus above
1 cup brown sugar dissolved in 3 cups of water

Pack the rinds in a large, clean glass jar. Pour over the sugar water, and add enough water to cover the rinds completely. Cover with a double piece of cheese cloth secured with a rubber band. Store in a cool dark place and check weekly. After a few days you should see bubbles when you move the jar. This means that the sugar is fermenting which is what you want. When the bubbles cease, add 1/4 cup non-pasteurized apple cider vinegar, recover with the cheesecloth and return to the cupboard. Now the alcohol will be converted in to acetic acid, aka vinegar. Filter and strain into bottles, close with a cork.