Blueberry–Basil Vinegar Canning Recipe
22. July 2026Guest Blog Post. Amy is the Director of Marketing and Communications for Joe Lamp’l (AKA joegardener®). In her spare time she gardens and practices her nature photography in a small suburban backyard in Northeastern Oklahoma with her dog Scarecrow. Amy’s new website and blog Toad and Sage Garden is where she features her garden photography and writes about ecological gardening and growing herbs, vegetables, flowers, and native plants in a suburban backyard.
Infused vinegars are one of my favorite little kitchen projects because they pull together everything I love: homegrown herbs, seasonal fruit, and a simple method of food preservation. This blueberry–basil vinegar is especially fun. It’s vibrant, bright, and a little bit of summer bottled up in a small glass bottle.
Our Custom Herringbone Canning Labels are a perfect match for this home canned vinegar. Pick a color and add your custom text for gift giving or pantry storage.
For gardeners, this recipe is also a chance to use up what you’re growing. And if blueberries don’t thrive in your soil (or if you grow them but the birds don’t want to share with you), sourcing from a local farmers market or a nearby you-pick farm is a great way to get fresh blueberries.
Read my blueberry and basil growing tips, then scroll down to get the blueberry basil vinegar canning recipe. Yes, it’s an actual shelf stable canning recipe! Plus, I share a number of ways you can enjoy this delicious homemade infused vinegar too. So you’ll be able to use the vinegar for various recipes throughout the year. The possibilities are endlessly creative! What will you come up with?
Growing the Ingredients
Growing Basil
Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow, and homegrown basil always tastes better in infused vinegars. Plus it’s cheaper than buying at the grocery store. Here are a few tips that make a big difference:
- Sunlight: At least 6 hours of direct sun. Basil can get a bit leggy in too much shade.
- Soil: Loose, rich, and consistently moist. Basil won’t tolerate being too dry. You’ll notice it will get really droopy and wilted if the soil dries out too much. Mulching around the plants helps keep the soil moist and cool.
- Pinching: Start pinching off flowers as soon as you see them start to develop. This will encourage bushy growth and keep leaves growing.
- Harvest timing: Pick basil in the morning before the sun warms the leaves. This is when the essential oils are strongest.
If you’re growing multiple varieties of basil, feel free to experiment. Genovese, large leaf Italian, or sweet basil will give you the classic flavor this recipe was designed around. Lemon basil will add a hint of sweet citrus. Thai basil may add a unique licorice flavor.
My personal favorite variety to grow and use for any recipe that calls for classic basil is a variety called Everleaf Emerald Towers. This is a tall variety of sweet basil known for its upright compact growth, flavorful leaves, and - the reason I love it so much - delayed flowering. It’s very slow to bolt, even in my 100 degree summers, which maximizes leaf harvest and keeps me from having to pinch flowers every day in the most miserable parts of summer. I also like that it is well-suited for containers and smaller gardens due to its tidy, vertical growing habit.
Growing Blueberries (Or Sourcing Them Locally)
Growing blueberries is absolutely doable, but they do have preferences:
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic—around 4.5 to 5.5. This is the biggest hurdle for many home gardeners. If your native soil runs alkaline, raised beds or containers with an acid-loving soil mix make life easier.
- Sun: Full sun for best fruiting.
- Water: Even moisture, especially during fruit set.
Full disclaimer, I have never grown blueberries in my garden so I opt for supporting my local farmers and buying from them in bulk. So if blueberries aren’t something you want to grow or don’t have the space for, there’s an easy workaround. Find a local you-pick farm. You’ll get plump berries at peak flavor, and they're super fun to harvest. (You tickle the berries, and the ones that are ripe fall into your hand - so cute.) And supporting local growers feels good.
Farmers markets are another great source. Ask the grower which varieties they like to use. Certain blueberries (like the smaller, wild-type ones) give an especially deep color in infused vinegars.
Blueberry–Basil Infused Vinegar Recipe
Recipe adapted from New and Updated Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, 2024 Edition” ©2026 CanningCrafts
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Preservation method: Water bath canning (or steam canning)
Difficulty level: Easy
Yield: Makes about ten 4-oz (125 mL) jars or five 8-oz (250 mL) jars
Head space: 1/4 inch (.5 cm)
Processing Time: 10 minutes (for both jar sizes)
Ingredients:
- 4 cups (1 L) fresh blueberries
- 4 cups (1 L) white wine vinegar, divided
- 1 cup (250 mL) loosely packed basil leaves, crushed
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- Optional Variation: Add 1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh whole blueberries to the final vinegar before ladling into jars.
Supplies: Large glass bowl, cheesecloth, mason jars
TIPS
- Crush basil leaves with a mortar and pestle, one layer at a time.
- If using your own homegrown basil, pick early in the morning before it’s warmed by the sun. This will yield the freshest flavor.
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In a large glass bowl, combine blueberries and 1 cup (250 mL) of the white wine vinegar. Lightly crush the blueberries with a potato masher or fork.
Add the remaining 3 cups (750 mL) vinegar, crushed basil, and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand in a dark, cool place (70 to 75°F/21 to 23°C) for up to 4 weeks. You will need to stir the mixture every 2 to 3 days. Taste the blueberry mixture weekly until you like the taste. Once you get the taste you want, prepare to can the vinegar for shelf storage.
Prepare water bath canner, lids, and jars. Put jars in hot water bath, cover, and simmer over medium heat until ready to use.
Line a strainer or colander with several layers of cheesecloth. Place over a large stainless steel saucepan and carefully strain the vinegar without squeezing! Discard the cheesecloth and leftover pulp.
Place a saucepan over medium heat. Heat vinegar to 180°F (82°C). If desired, add 1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh whole blueberries to the final vinegar before ladling into jars.
Fill the hot jars with hot vinegar. Leave 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) headspace.
Wipe jar rims and threads with a moistened towel. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands to finger-tip tight.
Place jars onto a rack in the canner. Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover canner, and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, process jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude if needed (see chart below). 4-oz and 8-oz half pints both process the same 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars and place them upright on a towel to cool completely.
Let prepared jars stand at room temperature untouched for 12-24 hours. After the jars cool, check seals by pressing the centers of lids with your finger. If the lid springs back, the lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.
Affix CanningCrafts’ labels and write dates on jars. Store unopened vinegar in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
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*Altitude
Living at a higher altitude affects home canning recipes, just as it does baking recipes. Many people are unaware that they live at a high altitude. If you live at a high altitude, you’ll need to increase either your processing time or processing pressure. Most canning recipes state this info for elevations of 0 to 1,000 feet above sea level. If you aren’t sure what your elevation is, get more info from the National Center for Food Preservation. Or call your local extension office if unsure.
How to Use Blueberry–Basil Vinegar
Here are some ideas for using this infused vinegar:
- Whisk into homemade vinaigrettes
- Splash over sliced cucumbers
- Drizzle over roasted vegetables
- Flavor a fruit salad
- Add a spoonful to marinades or pan sauces
- Spice up a cocktail
Our Custom Herringbone Canning Labels are a perfect match for this home canned vinegar. Pick a color and add your custom text for gift giving or pantry storage.
Blueberry–Basil Dressing Recipe
In a blender or a food processor, combine and process until smooth:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh basil
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) Blueberry-Basil Vinegar
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
- 1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
The quantities above should be enough for one or two salads, although it may depend on how much gloop and glop you like on your salad! You can evenly increase the quantity of all ingredients in the recipe to use up your entire jar of canned vinegar if you wish. Serve this dressing over a salad or use as a marinade. Store any leftover dressing in your refrigerator.
Our Custom Herringbone Canning Labels are a perfect match for this home canned vinegar. Pick a color and add your custom text for this homemade dressing.
Blueberry Basil Garden Spritz (A Summer Cocktail Idea)
If you enjoy garden-to-glass drinks, this infused vinegar makes a beautiful mix in for a refreshing spritz. It’s bright, botanical, and just sweet and refreshing enough for a warm evening outside on the patio.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz gin or vodka (try a botanical gin or experiment with a basil flavored vodka)
- 1/2 oz Blueberry–Basil Vinegar
- 1/2 – 1 oz simple syrup (adjust to taste)
- Ice
- Club soda
- Fresh basil + a few blueberries for garnish
To Make:
Add the spirit, infused vinegar, and simple syrup to a shaker with ice. Shake briefly, then strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Top with club soda and garnish with basil and blueberries.
Summer Garden Salad (No-Measure, Use-What-You-Have Style)
If you’re staring at a counter full of cherry tomatoes or a cucumber or two that’s drifted past its canning prime, this simple little salad is my favorite way to use them up.
Ingredients:
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Peeled and diced (or sliced) cucumbers
- 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
- Blueberry–Basil Vinegar, to taste
- Crumbled feta
- A few chopped fresh basil leaves
To Make:
Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, and garlic in a bowl. Drizzle the infused vinegar over the top to lightly coat everything, then cover and refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavors can settle in. When you’re ready to serve, give it a quick toss and finish with a generous sprinkle of crumbled feta and chopped basil.
This is perfect alongside anything coming off the grill or just as a quick lunch on a hot afternoon.
Give This One a Try!
If you’ve never made an infused vinegar before, this is such a fun place to start. The blueberry and basil work together in the best way. Try it in a simple vinaigrette, drizzle it over fresh fruit, or mix up a Blueberry Basil Garden Spritz and enjoy it outside.
If you make a batch, tag CanningCrafts and ToadandSage on Instagram so we can see what you created. And if you fall in love with this one, there are so many other fruit-and-herb combinations to explore next. Happy canning and happy experimenting!
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Read all of our Herb Gardening Posts
Learn how to make Flavor Infused Vinegar and get our FREE Printable Hang Tags.
Try our Blueberry Lemon Pie Filling Canning Recipe
Want more Blueberry canning recipes? Read our Blueberry Canning Recipes Collection blog post.
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