Pour this colourful salad vinegar into a dollar store bottle or an empty wine bottle, cork it, label it and tie a ribbon around the neck. Perfect.
6 cups white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
2 cup blueberries, raspberries or strawberries (or a mixture)
Rinse the berries and put them into a large glass or enamelled container. Mash them slightly (a good kid job) with a potato masher, then add the vinegar and stir to mix. Cover the container and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 4 days. The vinegar will take on the colour of the berries and absorb some of the flavour.
When you're ready to bottle your creation, first strain the big chunks out of the vinegar using an ordinary kitchen strainer. Discard the soggy berries. Then pour the vinegar through a coffee filter to clarify it completely. Pour into clean bottles, and jam corks into the tops.
Use this vinegar in any regular vinaigrette dressing instead of the usual plain old boring stuff. Include a handwritten (ahem - your cue, kid!) recipe for your favourite dressing along with the bottle of vinegar.