I just recently finished my own balsamic vinegar experiment from our blueberry grape abundance. I do have a press, so I was setting out a little differently. I also cooked down the liquid. And instead of purchasing an oak barrel, I used oak infusion spirals (medium toast) in 2 of my jars, and one without. The spirals worked pretty well! Oh and the crystals are most likely tartaric acid crystals.
I so very much appreciate these efforts. My Bavarian great grandmother taught me vinegar-making as a child, and i also have her pickling and saurkraut recipes! It is fall, and time to start some process. Thank you for beautifully-filmed inspiration!
“The water is drunk form the cup.” - Ancient proverb. That the quality of the vessel, increases the pleasure of the drink. Such are your videos GVK. Thank you.
Interesting process. As a chef on the east coast for 38 years I've been using balsamic without a thought. Today I wondered about the process and stumbled upon your video. I am glad I took the time to watch yours first! First off, Thank you for taking the time to produce a time-processed video! You explainations along the journey kept me at the edge of my seat and really enjoyed it. "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time" -Leo Tolstoy. Love the barrel by the way... Keep cooking R-
The slow heating method is what we in Lebanon use to produce our delicious pomegranate juice dark syrup (dibs remman). I made some this year with grapes and one can also use quinces or even apples. Extensively used in Lebanese and levantine cuisines.
Made me feel like I should be doing this myself. Beautiful music and I appreciate your attention to detail of the process and comparison of the viscosity differences at the end
I loved this. I know my compliments cant amount to the work you out in over the past year even taking care to preserve your project during a move but i have been searching for a homemade balsamic vinegar video for years and seeing this sends my heart aflutter.
You were so brave to continue using the barrel after the rust showed up. It would have worried me so much. Every year I harvest abundant grapes from a friend's garden to store in my freezer. I put the frozen balls in smoothies as a nice breakfast treat on hot summer days. My friend makes juice with a steamer like yours but it requires proper canning to store on the shelf. Making vinegar seems less hassle and the fermentation can happen in any jars with mouths that are easy to work with instead of canning jars. I shall try it this year. Thank you : )
Wow, amazing! I was gifted one of these mini barrels a few years ago and have never quite figured out what to do with it - this is a great way to make use of it! Thanks for another great video :)
the small anount of syrup you made by cooking grape juice to 1/3 of volume was traditionally made in Dalmatia ( probably in Italy, too). In Dalmatia, which is a region in Croatia it is called "Varenik" and it is used lika a sauce you pour over roast meat for example. It is delicious. Thanks for the video 18:2418:24
How educative! I would love to see the results of 12 years,too. I think i am going to be her biggest fan!! Cant wait to check out her other videos but frankly i was so curious about balsamic vinegar process. Thank you gourmet vegetarian kitchen,ma'am.
You don't need a barrel to age it. I got one just because I have been dreaming to have one barrel of balsamic of my own like some families in Modena, Italy :)
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen I have some black garlic vinegar aging in a carboy and it is so much better with a barrel in stead! The oak and other woods are really the most amazing magic
I have the Concord grapes in the freezer so could do this but no grape vinegar. Could I use a scobey instead, a water kefir scobey or a probiotic.? What do you think would work please? Thank you for posting. I really miss your videos. But I understand everything has its season. Just glad you show up now & then.
This is a catch up for me. As always you impress. Your patience, research and finding all the things you need to do unusual tasks is so interesting. And, you are so generous in giving us gentle advice based on your experiences. Although I use balsamic almost daily, I think this is one where I will enjoy your efforts from afar. I've recently moved house so have a new kitchen set up to organise and it's quite the work in progress. I'm in Sydney, Australia, and could get the grapes from a vineyard, but my bench and storage space is limited and occupied by sourdough bread-making, fermenting vegetables, including sauerkraut and I would like to make kimchi too, plus kitchen necessities. I am about to get a Mockmill flour grinder like yours, so the free space keeps contracting, lol! I notice a lot of vegan YTers are using flavoured balsamics which sound delicious. The limited flavoured brands I can find here are things like fig and pomegranate and they are pretty expensive ($25-$35 per bottle). I've tried reducing Modena balsamic to make a more syrupy vinegar via reduction (which you did) but the result needs more thought now I've seen this and, of course no mother forms. I notice the best Modena vinegars are the ones where grape must is the main ingredient and with few other ingredients. Next I would like to try adding some fruit flavours, but I suspect that process is in the recipes right from the start. There's no harm in trying. Thank you so much, as always, for your enquiring mind and can-do approach to creating wonderful quality fresh, flavourful whole foods. I always enjoy your videos and frequently watch more than once ❤
Aww.. thank you so much for taking your time to write such a sweet and kind comment, I really enjoyed reading every word of it. I have been away from posting for a long time as my new house is not quite done, but I’m planning to post useful videos more regularly in the near future💝
Hi thanks for share with us how to make balsamic vinager, can u share us the amount of grape to use??? And what is the name of the pots where u put the graves at the begginig o where i can buy one?? Thks
Oh I'm so sorry I didn't really weight the grape I used, but it's probably between 25-30 pounds. You can google juice steamer extractor online, there are so many options to choose from. Thank you so much for watching my video!
Such a great video and an idea! So the thick syrup has no other ingredients other than the reduced grape juice aged for a year? Did it taste close to balsamic vinegar?
Yes, the taste is very similar to a high quality traditional balsamic vinegar being age for only one year. I'm sure it will taste even better as it ages longer. Thank you so much for watching my video!
Very nice narration and very informative. beautiful video! If i understood well, the thicker syrup, resulted to a sweet kind of balsamic vinegar? while being in an airtight glass container and with no addition of vineagar mother? Is that correct?
Do you have a method for extracting sunflower oil? Have you tried it yet? I didn't find a good home extraction method on TH-cam. Thank you for the good things you share with us. I tried coconut oil and apple cider vinegar and it was great.
I'm so happy to hear that you tried making coconut oil and apple cider vinegar! No, I don't have a method for making sunflower oil at home yet, I'll try to look into it in the near future--tanks for the idea!
About the scoby, its a vinegar scoby and not kombucha scoby. They absolutely can look the same but the taste of the vinegar and kombucha is different. You can create a kombucha scoby from store bought kombucha and some patience. But it’s not the same in taste or organism’s in the different scoby. Yes, some people think it’s similar enough but if you want kombucha, use a kombucha base and creat a kombucha scoby instead. Then you can turn it in to a jun scoby and it’s even better.
I will be there in 12 years too! Thanks for sharing❤ I try your apple vinegar, and i keep the fermented apples in a jar without the vinegar. It smell vinegar but I don't know if I have to throw them. I saw that you eat them but I don't like it so I was thinking to use them again with water but i'm scared about bacteria. I began the vinegar 3 months ago.
Hello, I would like to know if there was a mother in the mason jar. Thank you for sharing I will definitely try it, I already make my own soy sauce thanks to you. (Korean style)
Yes, there was a mother in the mason jar. I'm very happy you'll try this, don't be afraid (like I did) to cook down the juice to get a thick syrup. I'm also very happy and impressed that you really did make the Korean soy sauce!
I have never made any vinegar before, but I want to work my way up to making balsamic someday! Is there a reason you had to steam out the juice instead of just cooking the fruit and straining out the juice? Also, is there a reason you could not simmer the juice to make the reduction process go faster? Would it have crystalized the juice or affected the fermentation process?
Hi, could I make a vegan cheese using a base out of lentils/beans instead? Or would sunflower seeds be better? I have a soy and tree-nut allergy and trying to figure out what base to make instead of cashews for cheese.
Very nice and pleasent video to watch! if you do this again, its better to make room for the krausen (the foam) rather than to remove it... it's mostly yeast, and serves af a natural "shield" against harmfull bacterie and mold
Hi, I'm from South Africa n I followed ur video... I find ur video very professional, calming n in detail you took us through ur journey step by step.. I can only image how rearing it must have felt for u.. However I read that u will rather follow the method where ur grapes cooked into a thicker consistency/syrup form if I may say that... So I'm going to follow that method without barrels as well n gave it age in the jars over time, am I correct u following that method where u aged it rather in the jar n not the Barrel as the result was far better Kindly advise me pls Zay
If you look about 10 seconds before the timestamp you put - two weeks of fermenting at room temperature. There’s evaporation and conversion by the bacteria.
Excelente Video, se oxidan los flejes de acero, esa barrica es para destilados, dereria ser un Kioke, lo construyen con aros de bambú en vez de flejes de acero
In 1994, I'm sure I bought a 25 yr old bottle of Giuseppe in Boston...it's packed into a box in a storage garage (can't wait to check this summer as I'm selling my 3 generation stuff in an estate sale)...the point I'm trying to make is that Giuseppe once sold 25 yr and 50 yr...I know it's still in it's original green glass square bottle that would make it 55 yrs ago canted) ...can anyone add to this info as of (2/20/24) ? Thanx 🌏☮AND💜✝
I just pour a bottle of store-bought Balsamic into a saucepan, bring to a boil then simmer on lowest heat until reduced by about 90%. When cooled it's as thick as molasses and tastes like candy!
Concord grapes impart a strong flavor that is not suited for this preparation. (I tried: it's just not the right grape). Also, as you noticed, the boil-down is necessary to caramelize the sugars thus imparting the right color and taste. Try to add some new cooked juice to fill up the headspace: the excess of oxygen in the headspace WILL spoil your long-term aging.
Thank you for the ride. I was fascinated by your sheer willingness to go where most will never go, and recording your entire drive getting there.
Thanks so much!
What a fascinating process. I will be there in 12 years.
Aww.. I'll be sure to update the result again in 12 years. Thanks so much for being here!
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen I will be there to 😆
I just recently finished my own balsamic vinegar experiment from our blueberry grape abundance. I do have a press, so I was setting out a little differently. I also cooked down the liquid. And instead of purchasing an oak barrel, I used oak infusion spirals (medium toast) in 2 of my jars, and one without. The spirals worked pretty well! Oh and the crystals are most likely tartaric acid crystals.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I will not be scared to cook the juice down in the future!
What an amazing adventure! Beautiful and interesting video. Congratulations!
Thank you very much!
Wow. Your patience and dedication fill me with such joy and awe. Thank you for all the beauty you bring here. 🍇
Thank you so much for your kind comment, I'm so happy you enjoy my video!
I so very much appreciate these efforts. My Bavarian great grandmother taught me vinegar-making as a child, and i also have her pickling and saurkraut recipes! It is fall, and time to start some process. Thank you for beautifully-filmed inspiration!
Those were probably tartrate crystals formed from tartaric acid and are also called wine diamonds. They're harmless.
These crystals may form the cream of tartar that we use here in Brazil in confectionery.

Thank you so much for letting me know. I didn't really know what they were, I was just happy they weren't mold!
Does this mean that it turned to wine or wine was involved somehow???
Complicado la hecha de ese vinagre 😢
thank you, I look forward to making my own batch using the cooked method too. thank you
“The water is drunk form the cup.” - Ancient proverb. That the quality of the vessel, increases the pleasure of the drink. Such are your videos GVK. Thank you.
Aww.. thank you so much!
Interesting process. As a chef on the east coast for 38 years I've been using balsamic without a thought. Today I wondered about the process and stumbled upon your video. I am glad I took the time to watch yours first!
First off, Thank you for taking the time to produce a time-processed video! You explainations along the journey kept me at the edge of my seat and really enjoyed it. "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time" -Leo Tolstoy. Love the barrel by the way... Keep cooking R-
Thank you so much for watching my video and your kind comment!
Amazing! Awesome to know that the simpler cheaper method you did for the thicker syrup (not requiring a wooden barrel, etc.) was the better way.
Yes, I'm very happy with the taste of it. Thank you so much for watching my video!
Remind us all in 12 years lol. I enjoyed the music@GourmetVegetarianKitchen
The slow heating method is what we in Lebanon use to produce our delicious pomegranate juice dark syrup (dibs remman). I made some this year with grapes and one can also use quinces or even apples. Extensively used in Lebanese and levantine cuisines.
Made me feel like I should be doing this myself. Beautiful music and I appreciate your attention to detail of the process and comparison of the viscosity differences at the end
Thanks so much for your kind comment!
I am such a big fan of your work. Over the years I’ve made several of your projects, all with great success. You’re amazing!!
I loved this. I know my compliments cant amount to the work you out in over the past year even taking care to preserve your project during a move but i have been searching for a homemade balsamic vinegar video for years and seeing this sends my heart aflutter.
at 74 years old, I don't think I will live long enough to watch you trying it after 12 years. My God!
You will and check it out with the rest of us ❤️
@@ElizaA12345 thank you, take care
You were so brave to continue using the barrel after the rust showed up. It would have worried me so much. Every year I harvest abundant grapes from a friend's garden to store in my freezer. I put the frozen balls in smoothies as a nice breakfast treat on hot summer days. My friend makes juice with a steamer like yours but it requires proper canning to store on the shelf. Making vinegar seems less hassle and the fermentation can happen in any jars with mouths that are easy to work with instead of canning jars. I shall try it this year. Thank you : )
Thank you for making such beautiful and detailed videos! They’re the most soothing form of education, please never stop :)
Thank you so much for watching my video and the kind comment!
Wow, amazing! I was gifted one of these mini barrels a few years ago and have never quite figured out what to do with it - this is a great way to make use of it! Thanks for another great video :)
Yay, I hope you make this and age it in your barrel soon. I really enjoy having one. Thanks so much for watching my video!
I love balsamic vinegar, and this was absolutely fascinating. Thank you for sharing your journey with us!
the small anount of syrup you made by cooking grape juice to 1/3 of volume was traditionally made in Dalmatia ( probably in Italy, too). In Dalmatia, which is a region in Croatia it is called "Varenik" and it is used lika a sauce you pour over roast meat for example. It is delicious.
Thanks for the video 18:24 18:24
You mean before it was left to age?
You don't age "Varenik". Once cooked enough it's done
@@lukakalinic5856 thank you
How educative! I would love to see the results of 12 years,too. I think i am going to be her biggest fan!! Cant wait to check out her other videos but frankly i was so curious about balsamic vinegar process. Thank you gourmet vegetarian kitchen,ma'am.
Brand new to this channel; couldn’t be happier to find it.
So glad you found it, thanks so much!
Such a pleasant, cozy video! It's really making me want to try as well :D
Thank you so much for watching my video, I hope you try making it too!
Thank you from the heart
Bravissima!!!!! Attendo tra 12 anni il risultato di invecchiamento 🤗
I'll definitely update the result in 12 years!
wonderfully thank you
Thank you so much!
Just delightful.
Thank you so much for your kind comment!
Totally Amazing
Thank you so much!
It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Thank you!
Thank you so much for being here when I return!
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen no problem. I love your content. 💜
Me encantó, precioso producto. Gracias 👏👏👏🇦🇹
Ive made so much vinegar but can never afford barrels for aging. Looks so good!
You don't need a barrel to age it. I got one just because I have been dreaming to have one barrel of balsamic of my own like some families in Modena, Italy :)
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen I have some black garlic vinegar aging in a carboy and it is so much better with a barrel in stead! The oak and other woods are really the most amazing magic
Thanks for this! Thats really great
🙏🏻👍
太好了，終於有中文字幕了。感恩分享！🙏🏻
so cool wow!!
Thank you so much!
Merci pour cette vidéo bien complète...et les 2 options
What a great video. Loved it.
I really miss your vids... hope you are well and living life wherever you are. ❤️ 😊✌️
I have the Concord grapes in the freezer so could do this but no grape vinegar. Could I use a scobey instead, a water kefir scobey or a probiotic.? What do you think would work please? Thank you for posting. I really miss your videos. But I understand everything has its season. Just glad you show up now & then.
My best bet is to use apple cider vinegar to start. Thank you so much for being here and watching my video, I'll post more often soon!
This is a catch up for me. As always you impress. Your patience, research and finding all the things you need to do unusual tasks is so interesting. And, you are so generous in giving us gentle advice based on your experiences. Although I use balsamic almost daily, I think this is one where I will enjoy your efforts from afar. I've recently moved house so have a new kitchen set up to organise and it's quite the work in progress. I'm in Sydney, Australia, and could get the grapes from a vineyard, but my bench and storage space is limited and occupied by sourdough bread-making, fermenting vegetables, including sauerkraut and I would like to make kimchi too, plus kitchen necessities. I am about to get a Mockmill flour grinder like yours, so the free space keeps contracting, lol!
I notice a lot of vegan YTers are using flavoured balsamics which sound delicious. The limited flavoured brands I can find here are things like fig and pomegranate and they are pretty expensive ($25-$35 per bottle). I've tried reducing Modena balsamic to make a more syrupy vinegar via reduction (which you did) but the result needs more thought now I've seen this and, of course no mother forms. I notice the best Modena vinegars are the ones where grape must is the main ingredient and with few other ingredients. Next I would like to try adding some fruit flavours, but I suspect that process is in the recipes right from the start. There's no harm in trying.
Thank you so much, as always, for your enquiring mind and can-do approach to creating wonderful quality fresh, flavourful whole foods. I always enjoy your videos and frequently watch more than once ❤
Aww.. thank you so much for taking your time to write such a sweet and kind comment, I really enjoyed reading every word of it. I have been away from posting for a long time as my new house is not quite done, but I’m planning to post useful videos more regularly in the near future💝
Very interesting video, i make vinegar and i always wanted to make also balsamic vinegar. I also make kombucha with mother so its possible to do!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, I'll definitely try it!
this was awesome, loved it. thankyou
Hi thanks for share with us how to make balsamic vinager, can u share us the amount of grape to use??? And what is the name of the pots where u put the graves at the begginig o where i can buy one?? Thks
Oh I'm so sorry I didn't really weight the grape I used, but it's probably between 25-30 pounds. You can google juice steamer extractor online, there are so many options to choose from. Thank you so much for watching my video!
You can get some oak spirals for whiskey making to put inside the syrup jar. I think it will give it some good flavours.
Amazing. 👏
Brava. 👍
Labour of love. ❤️
Sure, will check on you 12 years later. 👋
Thank you so much for your kind comment. I'll sure to update the result again in 12 years!
Great video. Could you include the NAMES of the songs? I see the link, but the link doesn’t show me the songs. Thank you!
Such a great video and an idea!
So the thick syrup has no other ingredients other than the reduced grape juice aged for a year? Did it taste close to balsamic vinegar?
Yes, the taste is very similar to a high quality traditional balsamic vinegar being age for only one year. I'm sure it will taste even better as it ages longer. Thank you so much for watching my video!
muito bom....parabens
franchement bravo (frankly bravo congratulations)
Very interesting video. Thanks.
Very nice narration and very informative. beautiful video! If i understood well, the thicker syrup, resulted to a sweet kind of balsamic vinegar? while being in an airtight glass container and with no addition of vineagar mother? Is that correct?
Fascinating ❤❤
Congratulations for vídeo!! ,thanks !!
Do you have a method for extracting sunflower oil? Have you tried it yet? I didn't find a good home extraction method on TH-cam. Thank you for the good things you share with us. I tried coconut oil and apple cider vinegar and it was great.
I'm so happy to hear that you tried making coconut oil and apple cider vinegar!
No, I don't have a method for making sunflower oil at home yet, I'll try to look into it in the near future--tanks for the idea!
About the scoby, its a vinegar scoby and not kombucha scoby. They absolutely can look the same but the taste of the vinegar and kombucha is different.
You can create a kombucha scoby from store bought kombucha and some patience. But it’s not the same in taste or organism’s in the different scoby. Yes, some people think it’s similar enough but if you want kombucha, use a kombucha base and creat a kombucha scoby instead. Then you can turn it in to a jun scoby and it’s even better.
Thanks for the explanation about the SCOBY. I have done making my own kombucha SCOBY before and it wasn't hard at all.
Thankyou
You're welcome, and thank you so much for watching!
Una pregunta por favor, todo el jugo fue hervido? A pesar de ello tiene madre? Gracias por su respuesta.
I will be there in 12 years too! Thanks for sharing❤
I try your apple vinegar, and i keep the fermented apples in a jar without the vinegar. It smell vinegar but I don't know if I have to throw them. I saw that you eat them but I don't like it so I was thinking to use them again with water but i'm scared about bacteria. I began the vinegar 3 months ago.
Hello, I would like to know if there was a mother in the mason jar. Thank you for sharing I will definitely try it, I already make my own soy sauce thanks to you. (Korean style)
Yes, there was a mother in the mason jar. I'm very happy you'll try this, don't be afraid (like I did) to cook down the juice to get a thick syrup. I'm also very happy and impressed that you really did make the Korean soy sauce!
I have never made any vinegar before, but I want to work my way up to making balsamic someday! Is there a reason you had to steam out the juice instead of just cooking the fruit and straining out the juice? Also, is there a reason you could not simmer the juice to make the reduction process go faster? Would it have crystalized the juice or affected the fermentation process?
Great video. Where did you get your glass ware?
MAGNÍFICO!!!
Hi, could I make a vegan cheese using a base out of lentils/beans instead? Or would sunflower seeds be better? I have a soy and tree-nut allergy and trying to figure out what base to make instead of cashews for cheese.
I’m 63. I’ve recently came into the wonder of fermentation. Just exquisite!
Aquí estaré en once años, sí Dios me concede la vida.
Soy cocinero aficionado.
Saludos desde México.
For reference purpose, how many lbs of grapes to start and how many gallons of juice came out before the cooking?
Very nice and pleasent video to watch!
if you do this again, its better to make room for the krausen (the foam) rather than to remove it... it's mostly yeast, and serves af a natural "shield" against harmfull bacterie and mold
Try drizzling genuine 18-20 year aged Balsamic over vanilla ice cream. Yummm.
شكرا لك 💐
Thanks🌹
🎉🎉🎉
Thank you so much!
Je peux extraire le jus avec mon extracteur à jus 40 tours minute ?
When you did the small jar aging, was that sealed tightly for the year?
Çok büyük emek ,tebrikler...
👏👏👏👍😋 delizia 🙏
Thank you so much!
اشكرك…🌿💚🌿
Hi, I'm from South Africa n I followed ur video... I find ur video very professional, calming n in detail you took us through ur journey step by step.. I can only image how rearing it must have felt for u..
However I read that u will rather follow the method where ur grapes cooked into a thicker consistency/syrup form if I may say that... So I'm going to follow that method without barrels as well n gave it age in the jars over time, am I correct u following that method where u aged it rather in the jar n not the Barrel as the result was far better
Kindly advise me pls
Zay
haha the magnetic cloth is a genius move 😂
:)
I will be watching after 12 years again ❤
6:19 where did "the THICKER syrup" come from?
If you look about 10 seconds before the timestamp you put - two weeks of fermenting at room temperature. There’s evaporation and conversion by the bacteria.
Thnx.
Здравствуйте. Чем полезень бальзамический уксус?
E muito barato comprar um extrator de frutas domestico... nao entendi por que complicar?
I have bullied mine a little too much and I ended up with a really thick syrup. 😂 Really tasty nonetheless. Can I dilute it down with some warm water?
If you do this again they make juice from varietal wines in concentrate. They make good wine, so I guess they would make good vinegar.
How beautiful ❤️
Thankyou. Azerbaycan🤗👏👏👍🇦🇿
Miss your videos so much
aww... thank you so much!
Sure God willing.....
There s just nothing you can't do Gurl !!) 👌
Aww.. thank you so much!
Is there another way to get the grape juice???
Buy grapes, (wash them if needed) peel them from the stem and squeeze them one fistful at a time through a sieve et voila.
@jakovterzic6956 thank you very much. It was kind of you to reply.
Excelente Video, se oxidan los flejes de acero, esa barrica es para destilados, dereria ser un Kioke, lo construyen con aros de bambú en vez de flejes de acero
ฉันอาศัยอยู่ที่ประเทศไทย
ทำไมน้ำส้มสายชูนี้ถึงมีราคาเเพง
แต่ เมื่อฉันเห็นวีดีโอของคุณ ฉันรีบเปลี่ยนความคิดทันที
ขอบคุณมากเป็นวีดีโอที่ยอดเยี่ยมมาก🥰🥰🥰🥰
we missed all your vdo specially on cheese .......
In 1994, I'm sure I bought a 25 yr old bottle of Giuseppe in Boston...it's packed into a box in a storage garage (can't wait to check this summer as I'm selling my 3 generation stuff in an estate sale)...the point I'm trying to make is that Giuseppe once sold 25 yr and 50 yr...I know it's still in it's original green glass square bottle that would make it 55 yrs ago canted) ...can anyone add to this info as of (2/20/24) ? Thanx 🌏☮AND💜✝
🎉 کاشکی به فارسی هم ترجمه میشد تا از تجربه های شما استفاده میکردیم
I just pour a bottle of store-bought Balsamic into a saucepan, bring to a boil then simmer on lowest heat until reduced by about 90%. When cooled it's as thick as molasses and tastes like candy!
Missing you!!
Concord grapes impart a strong flavor that is not suited for this preparation. (I tried: it's just not the right grape). Also, as you noticed, the boil-down is necessary to caramelize the sugars thus imparting the right color and taste.
Try to add some new cooked juice to fill up the headspace: the excess of oxygen in the headspace WILL spoil your long-term aging.
I'll be around in 12 years, keep me updated.
💙💙💙