When Life Gives You Grapefruits…Make Vinegar

My first project in my When Life Gives You Grapefruits.. Challenge is some Grapefruit and Rosemary Cleaning Vinegar. I usually use some diluted white vinegar for cleaning. It’s natural, very affordable, and does a great job. The chemicals in cleaning products have always irritated me and I don’t want the Sparkletots around those chemicals if I can help it. I personally like the way the vinegar smells, it smells clean to me, but others in the house don’t like it. To help cover up the vinegar smell I add some grapefruit and rosemary fragrance to make the house smell clean and delicious.

Supplies: canning jar with lid, wooden skewer, distilled white vinegar, grapefruit peel, fresh rosemary sprig

Thoroughly clean your jar and lid and put it in boiling water (especially if it has been used before, to get out any residual odors). Heat up enough vinegar to fill your jar, on the stove until boiling.

Rinse off your grapefruit before peeling it. Peel the grapefruit, then scrape off the white insides of the peel (pith) so that it looks like the picture above. I started using a serrated spoon to scrape the peel, but I found it was easier just using my fingernails. Tear the peel so that it the pieces will easily fit in the jar. Then stick them on the wooden skewer and place the skewer in the jar. Break off any part of the skewer that sticks up out of the jar.

Rinse off your fresh rosemary sprigs and stick them in the jar with the grapefruit peels. Once the vinegar is boiling, remove from heat and carefully pour it into the jar. You will instantly start smelling the infusion of grapefruit and rosemary. Let it cool for a couple minutes then put the lid on the jar. Let sit for two to three days.

Once the infusion is done, remove the peel and rosemary and throw them away. Strain out the vinegar using cheesecloth or a coffee filter to remove little particles. If the fragrance is too strong, dilute with some water. Pour the vinegar into your sprayer and get cleaning!