Blackberries have been on the tart side this season.  But don’t let them go to waste.  Make the most of their sour side by combining your pucker-worthy blackberries with vinegar and sugar to make a deliciously sweet-tart blackberry vinegar.  

Makes about 4 cups vinegar

4 cups blackberries
1 cups champagne vinegar (or white wine)
½ cup raw sugar

Combine ingredients in a small sauce pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Allow blackberry mixture to cool before transferring to a blender.  Puree until smooth.  Pour puree through a cheesecloth lined colander or a fine-meshed sieve  to strain out the seeds.

Transfer blackberry vinegar to clean mason jars and store in the fridge for a couple weeks.

Blackberry Vinaigrette:  Combine 1 part blackberry vinegar with 1 part walnut or olive oil.