Agrio de Vinagrillo [Recipe + Video] Bilimbi Pickle and Vinegar (2024)

En Español Recipe ↆ Video ↆ

Why we ❤️ it

This is not a fruit you can find at supermarkets and markets. It's usually procured from neighborhood trees, or maroteadas (scrumped). A favorite of Dominican children

If you are lucky enough to find it, here's what you can make with them.

What is bilimbi (vinagrillo)

Averrhoa bilimbi is the scientific name for a fruit-bearing tree native to Indonesia. The fruit, similar to a small cucumber, has a strong vinegary taste (hence the name "vinagrillo", meaning "little vinegar"). The sourness does not survive well in heat or cooking, so it's best used raw or pickled.

Bilimbi tree thrives in tropical climates with a rainy season, which means it grows happily in the Dominican Republic, where it is known as vinagrillo. In other countries, it is known as bilimbi, cucumber tree, or tree sorel.

Vinagrillo is related to starfruit (carambola in the Dominican Republic), and like that fruit, it's not recommended for people with kidney problems [1].

Encurtido y vinagre de vinagrillo (Bilimbi pickle and vinegar).

How to eat bilimbi

This intensely sour fruit is commonly eaten sprinkled with salt. Dominican grownups use it to make homemade vinegar or pickle it. It can also be made into a kind of compote by cooking it with sugar and spices; the sourness mostly dissipates with heat.

You can make a bilimbi dessert by following this recipe.

Serving suggestions

Just like agrio de naranja, our Dominican homemade spicy vinegar, agrio de vinagrillo can be added to soups and stews. I love it in sancocho (also in sancocho vegano o sancocho de mariscos).

Top tip

• Scotch bonnet peppers are eye-watering-spicy. If you're not into that kind of thing, go with one or half a habanero.

About these recipes

Vinagre de vinagrillo, or agrio de vinagrillo are not as well-known or liked as agrio de naranja, another homemade Dominican "vinegar", used to add spiciness to stews. But while not as widespread, it's always appreciated if we're presented with it.

For the agrio de vinagrillo I used Scotch bonnet peppers, a fiercely spicy pepper favored in the Caribbean. Less spicy and easier to find, habaneros make a great substitute.

The pickled vinagrillo, however, is not a traditional recipe. I like pickles and wondered if vinagrillo would work as well, and without having actually to pickle anything (pre-pickled pickles!). It did, I loved it in my burgers, and was sad when I ran out of it. So, if you like pickles, and have vinagrillo, you're in luck. Also, please send me some.

Buen provecho!

Recipe

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Agrio de Vinagrillo [Recipe + Video] Bilimbi Pickle and Vinegar

By: Clara Gonzalez

The most common way we eat this fruit is just sprinkled with salt, a favorite of Dominican children. but If you can find vinagrillos, then make these amazing encurtido y vinagre de vinagrillo (bilimbi pickle and vinegar).

Nutrition

Calories: 2kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 145mgPotassium: 3mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.

More recipes with fruit

Although vinagrillo is a little-known Dominican fruit, it is only one of a wide variety of fruit recipes: juices, smoothies, and fruits in spiced syrup such as acerola, tomato, and cashew apple.

References

1. ClinMed