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Balsamic Glaze-Reduction

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Balsamic Glaze-Reduction

Balsamic glaze, also called balsamic reduction, is incredibly simple to make. If you can boil water, you can do this in about 20 minutes.

And you will want to! This is the final touch—the subtle detail that elevates a dish from good to exceptional. It’s that refined drizzle found at high-end restaurants—a shiny, harmoniously balanced sauce with the ideal mix of sweetness and tang.

Ingredients

•½ bottle of Tassos® Balsamic Vinegar or White Balsamic Vinegar (approximately 1 cup). This amount is suitable for one meal or dessert, as it will reduce to about ½ cup or less.

•Optional Ingredients:

1 tablespoon to ¼ cup of honey, agave, maple syrup or sugar, depending on your preference. These ingredients will caramelize and add a slightly sweet flavor.
Herbs like thyme or rosemary can enhance the flavor. Use hard-stemmed varieties only. If adding herbs, strain the reduction to remove them before using or storing.

Cooking Directions

The key is to slowly let the moisture evaporate until the liquid reduces by half or two-thirds. This process thickens the balsamic glaze into a syrupy consistency that can coat and glaze almost any dish.

Important tips:

Stay near the stove top to ensure the reduction doesn’t harden or burn. Let the vinegar simmer gently for 10-18 minutes. Keep an eye on it, especially the last 5 minutes, to make sure it does not burn.
Consider turning on your kitchen exhaust fan to minimize vinegar fumes while the balsamic vinegar simmers.
Use a non-reactive pan or saucepan, recommended are stainless steel, ceramic, or enamel-coated cookware

Directions

Place the pan over medium-low heat and bring the vinegar to a gentle simmer. Look for tiny, slow bubbles rather than a rolling boil. If the bubbling becomes too aggressive, reduce the heat. Simmering is just below boiling, so the vinegar should maintain slight bubbling.
Remove from heat just before it becomes too thick, as it will continue to thicken as it cools. If it ends up too thick, add a bit more balsamic vinegar, return it to the heat, and stir. If it’s not thick enough, place it back on the burner until it thickens slightly more.

Serving

Balsamic Vinegars have a wonderful flavor, but reducing them makes a glorious, rich syrup that is the perfect finishing drizzle. Glossy, sweet, and tangy, it can be used to drizzle over:

salads and appetizers,
drizzled on chicken, turkey, pork tenderloin and grilled fish,
roasted vegetables,
wonderful on vanilla ice cream,
and if you like avocado toast, a drizzle of balsamic reduction just makes it all that much better.

Storing

Store your glaze in a glass jar, bottle or even a bowl, and it will keep for week at room temperature. If you store it in the refrigerator it will keep for up to a month.

If reduction hardens after being in refrigerator for too long, place the container in a bowl filled with warm water to heat up the reduction.