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Pine Needle Vinegar
A jar of forest for the kitchen counters — a simple household cleaning vinegar steeped with pine and citrus.
This is the cleaning job my children volunteer for, because the jar smells like walking in the woods. It is the easiest thing in this whole notebook: a jar, some pine, some vinegar, and patience.
Plain vinegar cleans well but smells like a chip shop. Steeped with pine needles and citrus peel, it smells like a forest and a fruit bowl.
Pine Needle Vinegar
You will need
To use
Method
Gather a few small twigs from several healthy pines — fallen branches after a storm are ideal. Strip and snip the needles.
Pack the needles and citrus peel into a clean jar and pour in vinegar to cover completely.
Seal with a plastic or lined lid (vinegar corrodes bare metal) and leave somewhere dark for two to three weeks, giving it a shake now and then.
Strain into a clean bottle. The vinegar will be pale gold and smell strongly of pine.
To use, mix one part pine vinegar with one part water in a spray bottle. Use on counters, sinks, tiles and glass.
Notes
Keeping: strained vinegar keeps indefinitely.
Other plants: rosemary, thyme and spruce tips all work. Rosemary and lemon is especially good for the bathroom.
Windows: dilute further, one part vinegar to three parts water, and polish with newspaper or a linen cloth.
Plants in this recipe