Raspberry & Vinegar by Fruchtwerker. Raspberry vinegar made from a quarter whole raspberries – cold macerated, mild and fruity.
Raspberry & Vinegar by Fruchtwerker is a raspberry vinegar from Talkau in Schleswig-Holstein: 25 percent whole raspberries, cold-macerated in brandy and wine vinegar, sweetened with sugar, only 3 percent acidity. No fruit concentrate, no added flavoring, no coloring – a fruity vinegar with a mild acidity instead of a sharp one. 250 ml, about 16 servings.
Buying raspberry vinegar has been the most frequent decision for our customers in the "Vinegar & Oil" section for years – this bottle is Fruchtwerker's best-selling product and one of the best-sellers in our entire shop. The reason is right there on the label: Raspberries (25%). The whole fruit, instead of juice concentrate or added flavoring. Anyone opening the bottle smells raspberry first, and vinegar only after. This is exactly how Matthias Hüttmann adopted the recipe from the farmer Emma, and it is exactly how he makes it today in Talkau.
First fruit, then acidity, then sweetness
It tastes first of ripe raspberries, with an acidity that is more reminiscent of fresh fruit than vinegar. The sweetness from the sugar follows and rounds it off, while remaining light. In the glass, it is deep ruby red, clear, and it smells so intense that one spoonful is enough for a dressing. The finish is short and clean – free of harshness or an alcohol tone.
The color comes solely from the berries. During maceration, the raspberries release their color and aromas into the vinegar, which is why it looks like raspberry juice rather than colored water. The consistency is slightly thick, like a thin syrup, which is due to the sugar content.
One caveat: With 3 percent acidity, it is significantly lower than classic vinegar with five or six percent for pickling. Anyone looking for a vinegar to pickle cucumbers or a dry, sharp vinegar for potato salad will find it too sweet and too mild. And with 51 grams of sugar per 100 grams, it is not suitable for a low-sugar diet – one tablespoon provides about eight grams.
A spoonful in a dressing, a dash in a sauce, a splash in a glass
The basic rule: one tablespoon of this replaces two tablespoons of normal vinegar plus the sweetness you would otherwise balance with honey. For a dressing for four people, two tablespoons of vinegar, three tablespoons of rapeseed oil, salt, and pepper are enough – done. This goes well with lamb's lettuce with walnuts, arugula with parmesan, or a goat cheese salad where the berry balances the cheese.
In warm dishes, it should be added at the end: A dash in the gravy for lamb, duck, or game once the sauce is finished adds both fruit and acidity. For fish – pan-seared salmon or trout – a few drops directly onto the fillet. And for dessert: a teaspoon over vanilla ice cream or dark chocolate mousse, which is the use that surprises guests most often.
As a drink, it works as a shrub: two centiliters in a glass of mineral water with ice, or a splash in sparkling wine for an aperitif without syrup. If you are looking for the right oil partner, choose a mild oil – the Olive Oil & Orange from the same producer is a combination that Fruchtwerker recommends themselves.
From experience: Do not heat, just stir in. When cooking, the raspberry aromas evaporate while the acidity remains – then you have an expensive vinegar that tastes like a cheap one. After opening, store in the refrigerator; the bottle will keep there for several months.
A recipe that is requested from us again and again: Pan-sear a salmon fillet, remove it, add two tablespoons of raspberry vinegar and one tablespoon of butter to the same pan, let it foam briefly, and pour over the fish. Serve with potatoes and green asparagus. Ten minutes, four ingredients, and the vinegar turns it into a dish that looks like it came from a restaurant.
By the way, this variety is particularly suitable for children: It is sweet enough that a salad with raspberry dressing also works for the little ones. Many of our customers write that it was the first salad their children ate voluntarily. That is stated in the reviews.
The farmer Emma, the raspberries from Schmilau, and a 15-liter pot
The story of this bottle begins in a farm shop near Ratzeburg, long before the factory. A farmer, called only "Emma" by Fruchtwerker, put raspberries that were left over from fresh sales into vinegar there – boiled the pressed liquid with sugar and sold the result to a small circle of customers. Matthias Hüttmann was one of them. When she retired, he bought the recipe from her and began production on his own in 2008 using 15-liter pots. That was the beginning of Fruchtwerker.
The process has remained the same. The raspberries soak in vinegar for several days, releasing their color and aroma; the fruit remains cold throughout – heat would accelerate the process but destroy the raspberry aromas. Afterward, it is pressed, and the liquid is boiled down with sugar. As a result, the bottle contains about 25 percent fruit; conventional fruit vinegars usually work with concentrate and flavoring because it is faster and cheaper.
The raspberries come from Schmilau, a few kilometers from Talkau, from the fruit farmer with whom Hüttmann has been working for years. They are flash-frozen immediately after harvesting so that the factory can work with the same quality all year round. The 15-liter pots have since become a 200-liter cooking system, producing about 300,000 bottles a year – the raspberry vinegar is still the number one today.
A vinegar you give as a gift because it looks exactly as it tastes
The bottle is what guests reach for first on the kitchen shelf: red, clear, with a label that promises exactly what is inside. As a gift for dinner or as part of a package with the Orange & Vinegar and the Apple & Vinegar, this vinegar is our classic – three varieties, three colors, one process.
Anyone who has had it in their home usually orders more. It has almost five stars in our reviews, and the comments are similar: salad, sauce, dessert, and the question of why they only just discovered it. For frequent users, there is the 500 ml bottle.
A fruit vinegar based on an old farm recipe, with raspberries from Schmilau – one spoonful in the dressing, and the salad is done.
