Opening up a bottle of wine at a party brings out the giggles in all of us (unless you’re a crier). But do you know what’s not so funny? Having to figure out what to do with your leftover wine when the party’s over. You can’t just re-cork the bottles and use the wine next time. That’s okay, though, because we have the solution to your problem.
1. Make Ice Cubes
Okay, so the wine may not be reusable, but you can freeze the leftover liquid to make the best ice cubes ever. Hopefully, you have a spare ice cube tray on hand — or a near-empty one. Just measure the wine out as you would water and use the cubes in a variety of drinks, such as lemonade.
2. Create A Fly Trap
With all those food scraps and wine bottles lying around, fruit flies are bound to enter your home. Stop the pests in their tracks by creating a homemade fly trap. Leave the bottles open so that the flies can enter — they won’t be able to escape.
3. Remove Stains
Wine stains are a pain, but you can use leftover white wine to help get them out!
- To remove red wine stains from your carpet, pour a cup of white wine over the stain and blot the stain with a clean towel.
- The acidity and alcohol in white wine helps pull stains from countertops. To clean your countertops, mix half a cup of wine with baking soda to create a paste, and apply the paste to countertop stains. You’ll need more for larger stains.
- Fill a spray bottle half with water and half with vinegar, and use the mixture to clean the grime off of windows or mirrors.
4. Brew Your Own Vinegar
One of the smartest ways to use up your leftover wine is to make some vinegar. The steps are quite simple: all you need to do is let your wine sit in a warm place for two to three weeks. The oxidation will cause the wine to become a tasty vinegar you can use when cooking. Just be on the lookout for fruit flies.
5. Prepare Food
There’s no real way to extend the life of wine once the bottle’s open. You can, however, use the remaining bit in a meal the next day. There are plenty of recipes that call for wine. If you’re wondering how to tell when the wine is no longer good for cooking, remember this: if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it.
6. Make Wine Syrup
Follow these instructions to make a delicious wine syrup:
- Mix two cups of wine with one cup of sugar in a large skillet.
- Simmer over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Let the mixture cool, and then strain it through a fine sieve.
When you’re finished, you can pour your wine syrup over ice cream, cake slices, or salads. You’ll wish you had it at home all the time!
7. Poach Some Fruit
We all love biting into a crisp apple or slicing up a banana for our smoothies. Fruit on its own is pretty amazing, but poaching your favorites in some wine is a whole new way to enjoy them. Follow these steps:
- Fill a pot with one cup of sugar and two cups of wine.
- Peel the fruit, stick it into the pot, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
You no longer need to worry about what to do with leftover wine. These solutions will help you reduce your load in many helpful ways. Get some cleaning done, get rid of pests, or poach some fruit. Your life is about to seriously improve!
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