Four thieves vinegar (simplified version)
Marseille, 1720. Four thieves plundered the plague dead without ever catching it. Unmasked, they are said to have revealed their secret, a powerfully aromatic vinegar. Legend or not, the recipe crosses the centuries, reputed to be cleansing.
A preparation traditionally reputed to be cleansing, halfway between remedy and condiment. The essential oils of the plants (thymol, linalool, eucalyptol, camphor) dissolve in the vinegar.
Ingredients
- Thyme20 g dried
or 40 g fresh
- Rosemary20 g dried
or 40 g fresh
- Common sage20 g dried
or 40 g fresh
- Lavender (flowers)20 g dried
Lavandula angustifolia preferably
- 20 g dried
- 4 crushed cloves
- Raw cider vinegar or white spirit vinegar1 L
- Cloves (optional)6 cloves
Equipment
- •1 large glass jar of 1.5 L
- •1 muslin or fine sieve
- •1 tinted glass bottle
Steps
- 1
Assemble the maceration
In the large jar, put all the plants (whole or roughly chopped), the crushed garlic and the cloves. Cover with vinegar. Close.
10 min
- 2
Wait in the light
Place the jar on a sunny windowsill (or failing that, in a warm spot). Shake vigorously each day. The vinegar will take on a golden to brown colour.
3 weeks
- 3
Strain and store
Strain through a muslin, pressing the plants. Decant into a tinted bottle. Label with the date.
10 min
Storage
More than 2 years away from light. It is one of the most stable preparations there is.
How to use it
External: as a rub on the hands and forearms, or added to surface-washing water. As a mouthwash: 1 teaspoon in a glass of water to freshen gums and breath (do not swallow). It does not replace effective hand hygiene or an approved antiseptic.
Health properties
- Traditionally used to freshen hands and surfaces; several of the dissolved essential oils have documented antimicrobial activity in vitro
- Thymol (thyme), linalool (lavender) and 1,8-cineole (rosemary, sage) have documented antimicrobial activity in vitro
- Garlic brings allicin, with documented antimicrobial properties in vitro
- A natural preservative for damp rooms (as a spray diluted 50% with water)
These preparations belong to cooking and herbal tradition: they nourish and support, do not “cure” anything and replace no treatment. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before prolonged use, if under treatment, pregnant or breastfeeding, or for a child. Follow the stated storage precautions strictly.
Precautions
Mainly external use. To be avoided internally by pregnant women (sage, rosemary, lavender at high doses are not advised). Test on a small patch of skin (inner wrist) before general use, possible skin irritation. Never apply neat to mucous membranes. Not to be confused with the modern shop version of the same name, whose composition varies.
Sources & tradition
- · Provençal pharmaceutical tradition (Marseille, 18th century), the «four thieves» legend
- · French Codex Medicamentarius (1748), official formula «Vinaigre des quatre voleurs / Acetum Prophylacticum» (renamed «Acetum Anti-Septicum» in 1758)
- · Jean Valnet, Aromathérapie (1964), antiseptic properties of the EOs