Filipino-Style Spiced Vinegar

Name: Filipino-Style Spiced Vinegar
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 10 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced; 1 1/4 cup (35 g) dried fruit, such as raisins, cherries, or mangos (optional); 1 5 whole bird’s-eye chiles; 1 1 (3-inch/7.5 cm) knob fresh ginger, scrubbed and minced; 1 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns; 1 3 to 4 cups (720 ml to 1 L) white sugarcane vinegar; 1 1/4 cup (60 ml) fish sauce

From the kitchen of Carly

A fiery Filipino condiment that gets better with time. Garlic, ginger, and bird's-eye chiles steep in sugarcane vinegar and fish sauce, building complexity over days. Tangy, spicy, umami-rich; use it to cut through rich dishes or brighten rice bowls.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

110 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
11/4 cup (35 g) dried fruit, such as raisins, cherries, or mangos (optional)
15 whole bird’s-eye chiles
11 (3-inch/7.5 cm) knob fresh ginger, scrubbed and minced
11 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
13 to 4 cups (720 ml to 1 L) white sugarcane vinegar
11/4 cup (60 ml) fish sauce

Instructions

Put the garlic, dried fruit, chiles, ginger, and peppercorns in a clean glass jar or bottle and cover with the vinegar and fish sauce. Loosely cover or cap the jar and let sit at room temperature in a dark place for 48 hours.
Transfer the jar to the refrigerator. The pinakurat will keep indefinitely, and the flavors will continue to develop over time.