Lavender is one of my absolute favorite scents. Last year I bought a few lavender plants and planted them sporadically around our yard. The plants didn't bloom last year and I was absolutely amazed at how large they grew back this summer. I initially planted them just to enjoy around the house, but then I started contemplating what I could with them. I know there are so many things that you can do with lavender; I really didn't have a clue where to begin. Then I saw this post on 5 ways to use lavender vinegar and I was convinced that this is what I was going to do with my plants. I'm always looking for natural alternatives to use around the house and I'm already using a lot of vinegar for various things so I thought why not scent it with lavender.

I didn't have a clue how to do this, but after a little research I think I've figured it out. Here is how to make your own batch of lavender vinegar:

• Fresh lavender plants (preferably)
• scissors (for harvesting the lavender)
• White vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
• Non-reactive pan to heat your vinegar
• glass jar and a non-metallic lid
• You will need one cup of lavender per two cups of vinegar.

1) Gather fresh lavender. I cut my flowering lavender stems about half way down. I also cut sporadically around the plant and left some for the bees and some to cut later for drying. The only thing I am still a little unsure of about this step is weather or not I did it at the right time. I think I would have achieved better results if I had done this about a week ago. It seems that there were more flowering stems on my plants then. I'm still learning about this plant so any tips you can offer on this would be appreciated.

I also read that you can use the leaves of the lavender plant for your vinegar too, so I clipped some of them because I didn't get as many flowers as I needed to make two quarts of vinegar.

2) Gather the flowering buds and leaves together and pack your jar lightly. I filled mine about 1/2 way up.

3) Heat your vinegar in a non-reactive (non-metallic) pot.

4.) Pour your hot vinegar into your jars filling it to just about the top. I think I left about an inch of head space in my jars.

5) Seal your jars with a plastic lid. DO NOT USE METAL.

6) The hardest part of this whole process is letting your concoction steep for 3 weeks before being able to use it. As you let it sit be sure to shake it up every so often and store it in a sunny warm location for best results.

Are you wondering what you can do with lavender vinegar? Check out this blog post by The Nerdy Farm Wife to learn more.  Her blog is filled with great natural recipes. I know you will love it.