This balsamic glaze turns any simple meal into an impressive restaurant-worthy dish. Extremely versatile, it is great to drizzle on salads, chicken breasts or vegetables. Or add a few drops to some olive oil for a fantastic bread dip.

Is balsamic glaze the same as balsamic reduction?

Yes, balsamic glaze is the same as balsamic reduction. It’s made by reducing the balsamic vinegar until you have a thick and glossy glaze consistency.

When you simmer the vinegar the liquid evaporates, leaving you with a thick syrup which is rich and flavoursome and a little sweet.

Do I need an expensive balsamic vinegar?

While using an expensive balsamic vinegar may give you a deeper flavour, it’s not essential.

As you need quite a lot of vinegar to make just a few portions of this it can be really pricy to use a superior quality bottle. Spring for the best you can afford, knowing that you will be pouring a lot of it in a pan to boil down.

Cheaper vinegar may also be tarter in taste, so again, while it might be more economical to use a cheap bottle. Opt for something mid-range if possible.

How long does it last?

Stored in a sealed bottle in the fridge this vinegar can keep for up to 3 months. When storing in the fridge you may find that it’s a little thicker when cold than room temperature, so you probably want to let it come to room temperature before serving.

What can you serve it with?

The possibilities really are endless with balsamic glaze. It’s great as a salad dressing, poured in some olive oil as a dip for crusty bread or drizzled over vegetable dishes.

Some great recipes to try this with include:

• Caprese bruschetta
• Artichoke Bruschetta
• Peach Caprese
• Roasted Mediterranean vegetables
• Caprese skewers
• Greek stuffed tomatoes

Do you need to add sugar?

You can add sugar or honey to make a sweeter syrup. While this is really good (and can even be drizzled over ice cream), I personally prefer it without any added sweetness. The vinegar does turn a little sweeter while reducing and the balsamic flavour is stronger without any additions.

Ingredients

All you need for this balsamic glaze is balsamic vinegar. As mentioned above, buy the best quality you can buy, without feeling guilty pouring a copious amount into a pan and boiling.

1 cup of vinegar will make around 4 tbsps of glaze, depending on how much you reduce it.

How to make it

To make this glaze simply pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for around 10-15 minutes until thickened.

You may find that different brands of vinegar thicken in different periods of time, so keep an eye on the pan while simmering and keep checking it.

The glaze will continue to thicken as it cools so it’s better to err on the side of caution and remove it while it is still slightly thinner than you’d like. You can always heat it further later.

Products that work great for this recipe

Print