You can store this all-purpose sweet-and-spicy vinegar in clean mason jars, but it is easier to keep it in repurposed glass bottles. Note that this recipe can be adjusted as you like—try using different chiles or other spices like bay leaf.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 3 cups

　　10 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

　　¼ cup (35 g) dried fruit, such as raisins, cherries, or mango (optional)

　　5 whole bird’s-eye chiles

　　1 (3-inch/7.5 cm) knob fresh ginger, scrubbed and minced

　　1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

　　3 to 4 cups (720 ml to 1 L) white sugarcane vinegar

　　¼ cup (60 ml) fish sauce

　　

Step 1

Put the garlic, dried fruit, chiles, ginger, and peppercorns in a clean glass jar or bottle and cover with the vinegar and fish sauce. Loosely cover or cap the jar and let sit at room temperature in a dark place for 48 hours.

　　

Step 2

Transfer the jar to the refrigerator. The pinakurat will keep indefinitely, and the flavors will continue to develop over time.

　　Excerpted from I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2018.Buy the full book from Amazon.