This blog is entirely about vinegar. Its various versatile venues will be vehemently viewed here.
Please feel free to email me with your favorite vinegar uses. While white vinegar seems to be the predominate talent, we do not discriminate here.
Submit ideas & tips & recipes for uses of all creeds & colors & flavors.
Vinegar is delicious, nutritious, and practical!
Here is a list I found on the internets:
- Apple Cider See Cider Vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar is outstanding. Dark, almost like molasses in color, very smooth and mellow with deep complexity and layers of subtle flavors. The very finest Balsamics are made from the juice of Trebbiano grapes that have been boiled down to almost a syrup. This reduction goes through a first natural fermentation in wooden casks and left to mature for anywhere from 10 to 30 years. Some for even longer—like 100 years! Some Balsamics mature in a succession of casks all made from a different type of wood, each type giving another layer of flavor to the vinegar. It is almost magical combination of wood, wine and time that makes traditionally made Balsamic vinegar such a rare and very expensive delight.
- Beer vinegar is produced in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Although its flavor depends on the particular type of beer it is made from, it is often described as have a malt taste. That produced in Bavaria is a light golden color with a very sharp and not overly complex flavor.
- Black Rice aka Chinese Black vinegar is an aged product made from rice, wheat, millet, or sorghum, or a combination thereof. It has an inky black color and a complex malt flavor. Ther is no fixed reciped and so some Chinese Black vinegars may contain added sugar, spices, or caramel color. The most popular variety, Chinkiang vinegar, originated in the city of Zhenjiang, in the eastern coastal province of Jiangsu, China and is also produced in Tianjin and Hong Kong. Kurozu, a somewhat lighter form of black vinegar made from rice, is also produced in Japan. Since 2004, it has been marketed as a healthful drink. Its manufacturers claim that is contains high concentrations of amino acids.
- Cabernet Sauvignon Wine vinegar is produced from alcoholic and acetous fermentation of Cabernet Sauvignon wine. High quality and rich burgundy in color.
- Cane vinegar, made from sugar cane juice, is most popular in the Ilocos Region of the northern Philippines (where it is called sukang iloko), although it is also produced in France and the United States. It ranges from dark yellow to golden brown in color and has a mellow flavor, similar in some respects to rice vinegar, though with a somewhat "fresher" taste. Contrary to expectation, it is not sweeter than other vinegars, containing no residual sugar. In the Philippines, it is often labeled as sukang maasim, although this is simply a generic term meaning "sour vinegar.
- Champagne As to be expected, this vinegar is expensive, delicate, refined and gentle. Pale gold in color, clear and bright. Wonderful stuff, but you wouldn't want to drink a glass of it on New Years Eve.
- Chardonnay Wine is the result of acetous fermentation of Chardonnay Wine. Distinctive flavors and aroma, light to medium gold in color.
- Cider vinegar is made from cider or apple mash in the same way as malt vinegar. It has a sharp strong flavor at full strength and the better quality ones dilute well to reveal a delicate apple flavor. It has a warm, soft honey color. Commonly used as a condiment, for pickling, and when diluted can be used a salad dressing. Although usually sold filtered there is a growing belief that unfiltered organic cider vinegar is especially beneficial to over-all health and beauty properties.
- Coconut vinegar, made from the sap (toddy) of the coconut palm, is used extensively in Southeast Asian cuisine (particularly in the Philippines, a major producer of the product), as well as in some cuisines of India. A cloudy white liquid, it has a particularly sharp, acidic taste with a slightly yeasty note.
- Corn Sugar is a result of the alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentation of corn sugar with smooth, mild flavor. Distinctive amber color.
- Date vinegar, made from the date fruit, is a traditional product of the Middle East.
- Distilled See White Vinegar
- East Asian Black See Black
- Flavored vinegars have been in use in different parts of the world for thousands of years, at least as far back as the Babylonians. Red, white and rice vinegars are the most commonly used, in which any variety or combination of flavoring agents are steeped. Imagination is the only limiting factor when it comes to making flavored vinegars. The most common are those using herbs and spices, though flowers, fruit and vegetables are other options. Sweetened vinegar is of Cantonese origin and is made from rice wine, sugar and herbs including ginger, cloves and other spices. Spiced vinegar, from the Philippines (labeled as spiced sukang maasim), is flavored with chili peppers, onions, and garlic.
- Fruit vinegars are made from fruit wines and usually without any additional flavoring. Common flavors of fruit vinegar include apple, black currant, raspberry, quince, and tomato. Typically, the flavors of the original fruits remain taste-able in the final vinegar. Most such vinegars are produced in Europe, where there is a growing market for high price vinegars made solely from specific fruits (as opposed to non-fruit vinegars which are infused with fruits or fruit flavors). Persimmon vinegar is popular in South Korea. Jujube vinegar is produced in China. Umeboshi vinegar, a salty, sour liquid that is a by-product of umeboshi (pickled ume) production, is produced in Japan but is technically not a true vinegar.
- Herb vinegars are made by adding herbs or spices to cider or wine vinegar and then allowing the flavors to blend—typically Mediterranean herbs such as thyme or oregano. Flavor and other characteristics vary greatly depending on the type of base vinegar and the particular herbs and spices added. These vinegars can be prepared at home by adding sprigs of fresh or dried herbs to store-bought vinegar; generally a light-colored, mild tasting vinegar such as that made from white wine is used for this purpose.
- Honey vinegar (made from honey) is rare, though commercially available honey vinegars are produced in Italy and France.
- Kombucha, also referred to as probiotic vinegar, is made from a symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria. The bacteria produce a complex array of nutrients and populate the vinegar with symbiotic bacteria which promote a healthy digestive tract. Kombucha vinegar is primarily used to make a vinaigrette flavored by adding strawberries, blackberries, mint, or blueberries at the beginning of fermentation.
- Malt vinegar is made from a beer-like brew using malted barley. This vinegar is made by much the same method as for commercially produced wine vinegars. Good malt vinegar is left to mature for some time before being bottled. It has a strong flavor and medium acidity. Suitable only as a condiment or for pickling—great with fish and chips!
- Merlot Wine One of the best! Unique flavor and aroma, this wine vinegar is the result of Merlot wine natural acetous fermentation. High quality, dark red in color.
- Pinot Noir Wine A rare wine product! Clear, bright and medium red in color, this vinegar has unique characteristics in flavors and aroma as the result from Pinot Noir wine acetous fermentation.
- Raisin vinegar is used in cuisines of the Middle East and is produced in Turkey. It is cloudy and medium brown in color, with a mild flavor.
- Red Rice This is another vinegar that is dark colored, but lighter than black rice vinegar. In any event, you'll never get the two mixed up once you have a taste. Red rice vinegar is an intriguing combination of tart and sweet. Red rice vinegar can be used as a substitute for black vinegar - just add a bit of sugar. It makes a very good dipping sauce, and you can also use it in noodle, soup and seafood dishes.
- Rice vinegar is usually made from fermented rice or rice wine. Originating in China and Japan. Chinese rice vinegars are stronger than those of Japan and range in color from colorless, through various shades of red and several shades of brown. Compared to other types of vinegar Chinese and, especially, Japanese vinegars are very mild; almost sweet. Japanese rice vinegar is very mild and mellow and ranges in color from colorless to pale yellow. There are two distinct types of Japanese vinegar; one made from fermented rice and the other is made by adding rice vinegar to sake.
- Sherry is a very fine vinegar type. As with other wine vinegars, the best are very expensive and justifiably so. Sherry vinegars are made from a blend of wines, just like sherry, and are left to mature in the wood for a long time. They develop fat, rich flavor and a mellow complexity. Like traditional Balsamic vinegar, excellent Sherry vinegar occupies a special place outside the vinegar spectrum.
- Spirit vinegar is distilled before the acidification process has finished and contains a small amount of alcohol which changes the flavor dimension. This is the strongest of all the vinegars and is used for the same purposes as distilled vinegar.
- Umeboshi vinegar is a pink brine with a deep cherry aroma and a fruity, sour flavor. It is a by-product produced when umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums) is made. Technically, it is not classified as a vinegar because it contains salt, but it is a good substitute for vinegar and salt in any recipe. It has a light, citric flavor and lends itself well to salad dressings and adding flavor to steamed vegetables.
- White So-called "white vinegar" (actually transparent in appearance) can be made by oxidizing a distilled alcohol. Alternatively, it may be nothing more than a solution of acetic acid in water. Most commercial white vinegars are 5% acetic acid solutions, although some states such as Virginia have laws prohibiting the sale of any product not made from acetous fermentation of alcohol as vinegar. They are made from grain (often maize) and water. White vinegar is used for culinary as well as cleaning purposes.
- Wine vinegar is made from red or white wine, and is the most commonly used vinegar in Mediterranean countries and Central Europe. As with wine, there is a considerable range in quality. Better quality wine vinegars are matured in wood for up to two years and exhibit a complex, mellow flavor. Wine vinegar tends to have a less acidity than that of white or cider vinegars. There are more expensive wine vinegars made from individual varieties of wine, such as Champagne, Sherry, or Pinot Grigio. Commercially produced wine vinegars are of an inferior quality, using average wine and faster production techniques that remove a lot of the more subtle flavors in the wine. Many commercially produced wines are none-the-less very good, and as with so many things, the price reflects the quality.
- White Rice is a colorless liquid, higher in vinegar content and more similar in flavor to regular vinegar. Nonetheless, it is still less acidic and milder in flavor than regular vinegar. There is also a hint of sweetness that comes from the glutinous rice. White rice vinegar can be used in stir-fries, particularly sweet and sour dishes, and for pickling.
- Zinfandel Wine is a clear, bright, transparent product as the result of Zinfandel wine acetous fermentation.
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