Whether it's a dinner party, a date night, or a night spent with friends around the festive days, you may end up with one or two unfinished wine bottles.
You can try to finish drinking it before it goes bad or figure out another use for it. While Route A is undoubtedly effective, these other solutions are available if you don't feel like drinking it all.
A bottle of leftover wine gives you a thrilling opportunity to experiment in the kitchen. The last few glugs of rosé can be utilised in homemade jam too. Here are some tips on fun ways to use leftover wine.
Freezing Wine
To use later, pour any leftover wine into muffin tins or ice cube trays and freeze. The alcohol concentration means the cubes won't be perfectly solid, but they will be sturdy enough to pop out and be stored in a freezer-safe container. This is ideal for recipes calling for just one or two tablespoons of wine.
Make Your Vinegar From Red Wine
All you need is raw apple cider vinegar, cheesecloth, a rubber band, a glass jar, and some full-bodied, dry red wine (such as a Gamay, a Syrah, or even a blend of several leftover reds). After about eight weeks, you'll have vinegar. Don't forget to strain it before storing and using it.
Salad Dressing
You may use your red wine vinegar in a Basic Vinaigrette recipe that includes extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, pepper, and a clove of garlic. Experiment with different combinations of ingredients to create a Dill Pickle Vinaigrette, French-style vinaigrette, or Miso Vinaigrette. Use your leftover red wine straight if you don't have any red wine vinegar. The recipe calls for half a cup of leftover red wine, fine sea salt, and extra-virgin olive oil for an easy dressing. If you don’t have a single red wine? Replace with white, rosé, or a blend of wines.
Wine-Related Recipes
Red and white wines can be used in various recipes, including appetisers and sweets. Remember that open bottles should be consumed within two to three days, so try to use up your leftovers as quickly as possible. Try putting some wine into White Wine Glazed Carrots, a festive side dish. It can also be added savoury to main dishes, like a traditional Red Wine Tomato Sauce.
Prepare Wine Eggs
Add wine to make a basic breakfast staple look more elegant. One tablespoon of stale white wine, such as prosecco or cava that you simply cannot bear to discard, should be added to the eggs the following morning. A fluffy, luscious platter of heaven will be the result.
Clean Up Your Produce
As fruits and vegetables might harbour harmful bacteria, it is normally advised by health officials to properly wash your produce, especially if you aren't planning on cooking it. Pour some wine into a spray bottle to clean your fruits and vegetables instead of spending money on pricey cleansers. Wine's alcohol content aids in the death of those harmful germs.
Make Your Plants Happy
You and your plants can both benefit from a little wine. Use any leftover wine unsuitable for your refined palate to fertilise your plants rather than discard it. Pour the remaining wine into your compost pile so the beneficial bacteria can continue working. Recycling will make you feel good, and it will also give your garden a small boost.