subject: Cooking With Vinegar: A Guide [print this page] Cooking With Vinegar: A Guide Cooking With Vinegar: A Guide
If you are contemplating cooking with vinegar, just check over the list of 6 main vinegars below so you have clearly in mind the best use for each one. No doubt you will discover new uses and ways to utilize vinegar you may not have thought of before.First though, where does vinegar come from? Vinegar comes from beer, cider, or wine when bacterial turns the alcohol into acetic acid, usually about 4-10% of the volume.The six main vinegars:White Vinegar (also known as Spirit VinegarThis vinegar is often made from a beer base although it can also be made from molasses. It has quite a strong flavor and aroma and used mainly for pickling.Malt VinegarThis vinegar has a strong aroma and therefore should not be used in delicately flavored food, also due to it's slightly bitter taste. You may have noticed the dark or amber color. This comes from having caramel added to it. Malt vinegar is made from unflavored beer. It can be used in making chutney but mainly people use it when pickling fruit and vegetables.Wine VinegarWith their delicate flavors, wine vinegars are very popular. They are taken from red, rose, or white wines.A rule of thumb is: The better quality the wine used, the better taste the vinegar will have.These vinegars can be used in dressings, marinades and sauces.Cider VinegarCider provides the base for this vinegar naturally and because of that you might pick up the slight aroma of apples or a slight taste of apples. It is not so acidic as wine vinegar and many like to use a cider vinegar in a salad dressing. It is also very good for sweet and sour dishes.Rice VinegarThis vinegar is made from rice wine and as you can expect, it is ideal for Chinese cooking, especially sweet and sour dishes.Flavored VinegarsTarragon, rosemary, green peppercorns, lemon or garlic can be added to wine vinegar to give it extra flavor.When buying vinegar from your local supermarket, just hold the bottle up to the light and make sure it is nice and clear with no cloudiness. Don't worry about it going off once opened. Vinegar is good for about a year. Flavored vinegars may be good for around six months after opening.Cooking with vinegar can certainly add wonderful flavors to food and hopefully this brief overview of the six common types of vinegar has encouraged you to see how you can use them more fully in your cooking.
