Strawberry White Wine Vinegar

Strawberries and cream, strawberry cheesecake, strawberry jam – by the time Wimbledon fortnight is over, you may think you’ve tried everything there is to try with this most English of berries. If you’ve still got a couple of punnets of strawbs softening in the fridge and can’t face another pudding, why not try something a bit different? Strawberry vinegar is quick and simple to make, and it looks pretty in the bottle so makes a fantastic present. But you’ll find it quite hard to part with something that’s guaranteed to make your salad dressing taste of summer!

• 400g hulled strawberries
• 600ml white wine vinegar
• 120g caster sugar

Quarter the strawberries and mix them with the sugar and vinegar in a non-reactive (glass or porcelain) container. Shake well to dissolve the sugar and leave, covered, for 24 hours.

Remove the strawberries then strain through a coffee filter into a 750ml Costalata Swing Top Bottle.

The vinegar will keep well for several months in a cool, dark cupboard or in the fridge. To use it, whisk 1 part of the vinegar with 2 parts olive oil, or a lighter oil such as grapeseed for a brighter colour. Serve on salads – it’s particularly delicious with tomato.