The unique taste of tangy, tart and sweet that defines this homemade balsamic glaze recipe can easily accompany any meal, snack, or dessert. With just 2 simple ingredients and 3 easy steps, you will want to make a large batch and keep it fresh in your refrigerator next to all of your favorite condiments.
Over medium heat, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and adjust the heat to maintain a low simmer.
Continue to simmer until reduced by half and thickened to a light syrup. Keep whisking every few minutes.
Remove from heat, and allow to cool down before using or storing.
Notes
Turn on your kitchen range hood as the fumes are very unpleasant if inhaled.
Use this recipe as a guideline. As every individual has their own unique sense of taste and preferences, feel free to experiment with different amounts and types of sweeteners.
Resist the urge to increase the heat to speed up the process. Instead, maintain a slow simmer throughout the reduction process to get a perfect glaze.
If you use granular or brown sugar, you do not have to worry about dissolving it. That will happen easily during the heating and reduction process.
Two important factors that will affect the total reduction time are the size of your saucepan and the type of sweetener used. As a result, look for visual cues to determine when your glaze is ready (details in the next section).
How do I know when it is done? The amount of time you need to simmer this glaze depends on a few factors. The initial amount of balsamic vinegar, the type of sweetener, and the size of your saucepan are all contributing factors.Instead of focusing on a time, look for visual cues, like consistency, to determine when your glaze is done. More specifically, look for a thick syrupy texture and one that lightly coats the back of a metal spoon.You also want to reduce the balsamic vinegar, so you have up to half of the original volume left. Transfer the glaze from the saucepan to a jar upon completing the recipe as the residual heat from the pan may continue to thicken it. How to store: Once the glaze is done, transfer it to a sterile mason jar or a squeeze bottle and allow it to come to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.