Four Thieves vinegar recipe (legend included) - Studio Botanica (2024)

Have you heard of the famed “Four Thieves Vinegar”? When I had my shop, Studio Botanica, in the west end of Toronto, this was a definite 'best seller'. It's easy to make and the anti-microbial ingredients pack a healing punch for immune support all year long!

There are a few versions of this legendary story. Here’s one:
Picture it.. Marseilles.. 1281. This great port town has been leveled by the great plague … Few homes unaffected and many dead ‘stopped in their tracks’. Homes were looted and ravaged by marauders. Chaos prevailed. Apparently there were four men who worked in the shipyards and in a factory processing herbs and spices from abroad. At one point they realized that, while working long days, covered in the powdered dusty dregs of the herbs in the warehouse, they seemed to have 'an edge' over the rest of the city. These factory workers-turned thieves were eventually apprehended and were facing certain death as punishment for their crimes. As the story goes, when they came before the judge, he was motivated to grant them a pardon if they shared their secret to 'staying alive'. They were more than happy to tell all, and were released. The magic of the herb and spice powders from the warehouses, once again, instrumental in saving their lives. We actually don't know how the judge managed to douse himself in the herbs but I like to think that he managed to outwit the deadly plague and lived on to tell the story!

Four Thieves Vinegar has as many variations as there are stories about it! I've made it with 10+ ingredients and as few as 4 or 5 herbs. Jean Valnet, a well known aromatherapist and herbalist from the early 20th century, is thought to have 'penned' the closest to the original! His recipe includes wormwood, meadowsweet, juniper, marjoram, sage, cloves, angelica, rosemary, horehound and camphor! I used to make a concoction with many of these but confess I have never included camphor. Essentially.. it's an apple cider vinegar infused vinegar which consists of a combination of anti-microbial herbs. These days, I've left off some of the more bitter herbs and make variations like this one below. Hope you'll try it. Definitely a winter warrior remedy!

How to make your own "Four Thieves Vinegar":

5 from 13 votes

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Four Thieves Vinegar

One version of the vinegar of the four thieves with easy to find ingredients and a super anti-microbial condiment!

CourseCondiment

CuisineHerbal Medicine

Keyword#condiments, #easy, #glutenfree, #infusedvinegar, #keto, #tonic, #whole30, Herbal, Paleo, Real food

Ingredients

• 4clovesgarlicfresh, chopped
• ¼cuppeppermintchopped
• ¼cuprosemarychopped
• ¼cupthymechopped
• ¼cupsagechopped*
• ⅛cuplavenderchopped
• 2cupsApple Cider VinegarACV

Instructions

1. Chop the garlic cloves

2. Strip the herbs from their stems and roughly chop them on a cutting board.

3. Add the garlic and other herbs to your jar

4. Add enough vinegar to cover the herbs fully and add a good-fitting lid to the jar

5. Allow to sit in a cool place for minimum 7 days (or 1 month if possible)

6. Strain the liquid into a clean glass jar with a good lid.

7. Compost or discard the herbs

Recipe Notes

NOTE: use a plastic lid or use waxed paper or parchment or cling wrap between the jar and the lid.

No fresh herbs? Just ½ the quantities.. For example, ¼ c fresh thyme = ⅛ cup dried thyme
or make a super tonic and keep it all as is.. with the dried herbs. It's more of a relaxed template than a precise recipe.

*Sage --- from Aviva Romm M.D. (Aviva is herbalist/midwife/MD and a wonderful teacher!)

• If you’re pregnant, omit the sage from the recipe; it can cause miscarriage, and don’t use this as a daily tonic – just enjoy occasionally as a salad dressing ingredient.
• Sage can also dry up breast milk, so if you’re breastfeeding, it’s okay to use it in salad dressing occasionally, but preferably, just omit the sage from the recipe.
  * I substitute Lemon Balm for Sage sometimes.. highly anti-viral too!

Make a Zippy vinaigrette with your Four Thieves Vinegar!

Add 2 tablespoon Vinegar of the four thieves to ¼ cup olive oil.
Add sea salt + freshly ground black pepper.
I like to add a little honey to soften the sharp pungency.
Mix well.
This dressing is delicious in salads or spooned over steamed greens!!

You can also use Four Thieves Vinegar as a tonic.. Just limit to a few times a week to look after your 'teeth enamel'. Add to a little water -- it will still offer all of the healing properties!

Here's to your great health ~ all year long !

I hope that you'll make your own version of this fantastic anti-microbial
herbal food/medicine

Be well, Green wishes, Carol xo