Thank You Brother Victor, Benedictine Monk, Master Vinegar Maker

This is my Mom's neighbor, Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette . a Benedictine monk, living in the Hudson Valley for something like 40 + years. Beautiful portrait of him by Francesco Mastalia.

Originally from Pau, France, Brother Victor moved to New York City in the early sixties. He moved up to the Hudson Valley and built  Our Lady of the Resurrection Monastery *  with his fellow monks.

Benedictine Monks live off what the land provides, what the world offers. There is no retirement, no pension. Their days are spent in prayer and work. Each monastery must provide for itself. These days, while sometimes having student intern and help with care for the animals, Brother Victor is the monastery's only permanent resident.

Brother Victor is also a world renowned cookbook writer. Published in some 14 languages, "From a Monastery Kitchen" is a wonderful collection of his very personal experience with seasonal recipes and life philosophy.  There are fifteen other titles which he has written : Soups, Salads, Spirituality, Christmas meals, special meals... all of which you can order here!

Every summer, the monastery's Vinegar Festival is a larger and larger affair. How he keeps up with all this activity is indeed miraculous and a testament to his connection and participation in his surrounding community. Loved and beloved by all that have crossed his path : neighbors, visitors, festival participants, his good cheer spread far and wide.

The monastery has farm animals: chickens, sheep, goats, a kitchen garden, an up to date  website with all kinds of information relating to life at the monastery, the tenets of the Benedictine brotherhood and last but not least, information on the various types of vinegars produced there.

And oh are these delicious! Some have an apricot, prune or citrus, cherry, a hint of some discrete spice: cinnamon, juniper, ginger, black pepper, lavender, sage, dill, tarragon...It's hard to pick out exactly! Each vinegar is very different.

He shares his vinegar recipe with anyone that asks.  Offers advice when you think something has gone wrong. If it smells good it hasn't ! If it smells bad, it has! Wash up and start over again ! In 10 years of vinegar making, I've never had a problem.

One important element in vinegar making is of course the vinegar "mother". Brother Victor's was brought over many many years ago from another monastery in southern France. The monastery sells jars of vinegar mother of varying sizes for anyone that wants to take up the challenge.

Starting a vinegar is a pretty simple affair. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't mean just taking a glass of wine and dumping that in a vinegar jar. As Jared, a former Brother Victor Intern explains in his terrific website : Jared's Vinegar Blog "that will just give you 'sour wine '" !!!

So how do you make vinegar? First choose your time of year. I start mine after the winter holidays while it's still cool out. No midges about!

Starting out with about four bottles of red wine and a selection of aromatics.

A small piece of licorice root, fresh ginger, cubébé pepper, a piece of cinnamon stick, one tiny clove, a handful of chopped dried turkish apricots, several organic shallots and cloves of garlic, ripe fruit, perhaps some lavender...

All that goes into a large stainless steel pot where it bubbles gently over a low flame for 30 minutes. It sits overnight. Each element giving something to the wine. Believe me, this is already wonderful stuff!

I then strain out these additions. But don't throw away this goody! A nice borscht welcomes these leftovers. So does the interior of a roast chicken.  Adds marvelous flavor.

This lovely, strained elixir goes into the beautiful MomPot Vinegar jar.. She made this for me many years ago. Having a potter mother is a great thing. She saw a glass vinegar jar at a shop here in Paris, down the street from BHV, selling all manner of wine equipment, now sadly long gone.  She bought several handblown glass spigots and started making vinegar jars. I was the lucky recipient of the first one!  

I add the vinegar mother and we are off!

Vinegar "mother" is basically a bacteria that transforms sugars (in wine, fruit juices etc) into vinegar!

It looks something like a skin sitting atop the liquid ( wine, cider, beer even) and as it grows, you will need to push it down under the surface every so often. It is a living thing. And I have no idea why people throw this out or call it "spent".
It is anything but.

I'm adding a new one, fresh from Brother Victor's so that I can offer my ten year old mother this year to some intrepid and courageous reader of this blog !

The vinegar mother needs oxygen so I fold several layers of cheesecloth that sit on top of the jar. No lid.  That allows some air but the summer fruit flies generally leave it alone.
It's not a problem if there are a few that get in there. All part of the process.

The jar  lives under the bathroom sink in what is "a cool dark place". I'm superstitious about putting the jar down in the basement where I store wine. Figure each thing has it's place. And it's easier to check on. I push the floating mother back down under the surface every week or so.

I top it off with any drops of leftover red wine that I have altho have to say, that isn't very often. I've been known to open a bottle of wine just to feed my vinegar. Only organic red wine. You can make vinegar out of just about any "fruit" juice : apple, cherry, pineapple, pear, grape, plum, champagne...

The "juice" ferments for about 1O months. Come Christmas time, I strain off the mother/s and bottle up each years supply, offering it to friends and family. A welcome gift!

Here in France, there are several types of vinegar jar available. In glass, oak, or classic ceramic stoneware, they all work.

The stopper and spigot, are optional. There are glass*, wood, plastic spigots available. But I have to admit, that Mompot spigot seems almost superglued on. I don't have the heart to try and remove it.
I use a ladle to get whatever I use right out the top of the jar. And I suppose I'll just keep getting it out that way.

.

 Now for the offer ! I'm giving away this years vinegar mother to the first person that leaves a comment under this post! I'll send you a little package of vinegar mother anywhere in the world ! 

So feeling like you would like to try making your own vinegar? Leave a comment below !!

I'll reply by e-mail asking you for your postal address. Please don't write your email nor your address in your comment. We will share that information just between us in a more secure fashion!  

-Oolala !! Big drops coming down ! Hail even ! Happy to be toasty and warm inside today!

- Lissa


All the vinegar jar images are from : Etsy ( hand thrown ceramic) , Les Pieds Sous La Table ( oak cask and  traditional ceramic styles from France) , Emile Henry Home : ( colorful ceramic jars). Divertimenti UK  is yet another address selling vinegar jars on this side of the pond.

A large 2 Gallon Glass Mason jar, with or without spigot, is also a good, inexpensive alternative !

*Our Lady of the Resurrection Monastery  : 245 Barmore Road, Lagrangeville, New York

** Glass and rubber stoppers/spigot from Switzerland   

***Handblown glass spigot/rubber stopper from France