Teach me about vinegars please

[dazco]

I keep coming across various recipes that call for one type of vinegar or another . I am from Lancashire where vinegar is Sarson's that goes on yer chips.

Could you please help by explaining the various vinegars and where they might be used.

This is just for cooking, not pickling or cleaning.

[NordicCrankShaft]

Cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar are the main ones.

I only ever use them for making dressings condiment sauces, pickling and for adding acidity to a dish.

[mattdaniels]

Red wine vinegar - makes your chips taste of red wine.
White wine vinegar - makes your chips taste of white wine.
Sherry vinegar - makes your chips taste of.....you get the idea

[dudleybloke]

Don't forget the non-brewed condiment for that authentic chippy taste.

[Europa1]

dudleybloke said:

Don't forget the non-brewed condiment for that authentic chippy taste.

I love that stuff.

[21TonyK]

Good quality aged balsamic or sherry vinegars are fantastic as a dressing for cheeses and salads. Cheap sherry vinegar to finish soups and sauces. Balsamic in a tomato sauce adds depth and balances sweetness. White aged balsamic is a nice variation on white wine vinegar in dressings. Worth buying as they don't go off as such if you keep them in the dark and sealed.

I've had these for years

[CraigyMc]

Proper balsamic is quite thick [but has no thickener in it], it's not watery like normal vinegar. It's sweet - you can put it on strawberries and it tastes amazing.

Compare with crap balsamic which is basically just vinegar - acidic - put that on strawberries and it tastes foul.

So even with one type of vinegar there's good and bad. In this case, there is no way to do it cheaply and well.

* proper balsamic usually costs > £10 for a little bottle and has no thickeners or owt artificial in it.
eg.

• st "balsamic" costs £1 for a little bottle, has loads of crap in it and tastes awful.

eg.

With proper balsamic and some olive oil you can make salad dressings very easily that taste very good. With crap balsamic you can make a total mess that doesn't work for anyone.

[NordicCrankShaft]

I've used some of the highest and most expensive ingredients in my previous career in Michelin starred restaurants and not once did I ever come across "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena" that was thick in consistency. The only Balsamic that is thick is the real traditional stuff which is made from a grape juice reduction, the same that is used to make cognac and is aged for a minimum 10 years.

Any other balsamic vinegar whether it be cheap or "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena" is made from wine vinegar and other stuff, even though it's aged for 2 months and upto 3 years it's not neccessarily aged in casks.

Proper stuff I've seen for 150/ltr on invoices.

[Adam Ansel]

The common Modena Balsamic vinegar (Aceto Balsamico di Modena) is a cheap imitation of the real stuff. It is just made of wine vinegar with the addition of colouring, caramel and cornflour
You need Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale. Utterly amazing. Either Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia or Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena. It ONLY comes in 100ml bottles. It is successively aged in different woods; chestnut, cherry, oak, mulberry, ash and juniper. On Amazon it is about £50 for the 12 year old, which is the youngest you can buy. The 25 year old is twice the price.

Here is an article about it: http://www.finecooking.com/articles/balsamic-vineg...

[CraigyMc]

NordicCrankShaft said:

The only Balsamic that is thick is the real traditional stuff which is made from a grape juice reduction, the same that is used to make cognac and is aged for a minimum 10 years.

When I say thick, I mean that it'll cling to the side of the bottle for quite a while. The only thing in the bottle (the one I suggested) is cooked grape must and wine vinegar, no thickeners.

Vinegar clinging to the side of the bottle (it settles back after a few minutes)


Ingredients of the same bottle:


New bottle design (both types are still on the shelves) - I happen to have both as I was running out...

[Adam Ansel]

CraigyMc said:

When I say thick, I mean that it'll cling to the side of the bottle for quite a while. The only thing in the bottle (the one I suggested) is cooked grape must and wine vinegar, no thickeners.

That is not the real stuff.

Real Balsamic Vinegar ONLY looks like this:

Edited by Adam Ansel on Friday 12th February 08:44

[LordGrover]

Lumme!

[Adam Ansel]

LordGrover said:

Lumme!

The key word is Tradizionale, without this it is not the real thing.

[EarlOfHazard]

I would explain, but I don't wanting you getting in to a pickle.

[foxsasha]

LordGrover said:

Lumme!

Cheaper source:

http://www.parmashop.com/english/balsamic-vinegar/...

12 year old:

http://www.parmashop.com/english/balsamic-vinegar/...

[CraigyMc]

Interesting. I'll buy some and try it

[CraigyMc]

Bought some of the tradizionale stuff mentioned. It's nice, but not much nicer than the balsamic vinegar I posted earlier. Certainly not worth the price difference.

Craig