How to make sushi vinegar

You can easily buy a sushi vinegar in shops, but it usually has additives in it, so it's much nicer to make it yourself. By doing so, you can adjust the taste to suit your own palate. Each sushi chef will have their own secret recipe for this, as it's the key seasoning for all sushi.

It's made from rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, so it will keep for years once you have made it. It's handy to have it in the cupboard to use as a quick pickle base or salad dressing. As a general rule, in Japan, chefs on the west of the country make it sweeter, while chefs in the east make it saltier.

If you are a real perfectionist, you can adjust the recipe with the seasons and with the type of fish you are serving. In the winter, or with fatty fish, the vinegar is saltier. In the summer, or with leaner fish, the vinegar is made sweeter.

Making your own sushi vinegar allows you to tailor the taste to each type of fish and the season

Ingredients

450ml of rice vinegar

90g of sugar

30g sea salt

1 x 5 cm piece of konbu seaweed (optional)

Equipment

Small pan

Whisk

Measuring jug

Measuring scales

Fine strainer

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a pan and whisk to make sure the sugar does not sit on the bottom.

2. Heat over a medium heat and bring slowly to the boil. Stir occasionally to stop the sugar caramelizing.

3. As soon as it reaches the boil, immediately switch it off and remove from the heat.

4. Once it has cooled, strain the vinegar to remove the konbu and store it in a bottle or airtight container in the cupboard.