An autumn chill is in the air (which means cold & flu season is right around the corner) – so it’s perfect timing to finish up our wild rosehip vinegar.

You may remember that in September I came across a ton of gorgeous rosehips.  Want to know more about rosehips, their traditional health benefits or how to make this rosehip vinegar?  Check out the original post here: Wild Rosehip Vinegar Part 1

Finishing up this project should be easy – the only real concern is making sure none of those pesky, itchy hairs get into our finished product!

The rosehip/vinegar mix was infusing on our shelf for 6 weeks.  As you can see in the photo, the rosehips tended to float towards to top, so I gave it a shake every few days to keep them covered in vinegar.  There was also a thick layer of sediment at the bottom, which is normal when making tinctures in alcohol or vinegar.

The key with this recipe is to strain, strain, strain – really well!  You want to catch every single little itchy hair.

I used a double layer of cheesecloth and strained out the rosehips.

Then used a fresh cheesecloth to do a second straining of just the liquid.  I could see a few hairs in this second cheesecloth, so it definitely needed the second straining…

The liquid was a slightly lighter, rosier colored cider vinegar.

Now pour it into clean bottles for storage and LABEL.   The rosehip vinegar should last for at least a year, probably several years.

How to use Rosehip Vinegar

I’m planning to mix a spoonful of this rosehip vinegar into a glass of water (and maybe sweeten with a little honey) during the winter months.

Skeptical about how this tastes? Try it yourself, I think it’s really refreshing!

And it’s not just me.  Reader Amanda Jo recently left this tip on the Facebook page:

“Another thing that really works in our house is raw apple cider vinegar in water with honey added. The first sign of a cough coming on, that will just knock it out. I drink about 1-2 tbls per day during cold/flu season in water and local raw honey to taste.”

Have you tried apple cider vinegar in water as a cold remedy or for other health boosting benefits?  How will you use your Rosehip Vinegar this year?  Let us know in the comments!