Acetic acid (aka ethanoic acid) is an odourless, colourless carboxylic acid. Pure acetic acid is clear with no colour. The smell is very irritating to the nose. The liquid is extremely corrosive to skin and it is not safe to consume. Acetic acid is very sour in taste even in diluted quantities. Acetic acid production Acetic…
Vinegar
Acidulate
Acidulate Acidulate means to add acid in small amounts. In cooking, the acid can be a vinegar, a citrus juice or even wine. It will always be an acid that is food safe, and have levels of acidity that are low enough to be safe for people to touch and consume. Normally, the acid used…
Acidulated Water
Acidulated Water © Randal Oulton Acidulated Water is cold water mixed with a small quantity of food-grade acid such as vinegar, lemon juice or another citrus juice or acid. It’s used for dipping cut fruit or vegetables into, in order to stop them from turning an unsightly brown when they are exposed to air. Acidulated…
Arengga Vinegar
Arengga Vinegar is made from a variety of sugar palm tree (Arenga pinnata) called “kaong” or ” irok” in the Philippines. The tree needs 10 to 15 years of growth first. It will live for 15 to 22 years in the wild (it has a shorter life in cultivation.) The vinegar is made from the…
Blueberry Vinegar
Blueberry vinegar is purple. It is made from fermenting blueberries into alcohol. Vinegar starter is added to this alcohol, which is then allowed to ferment into vinegar. Then, it is filtered and bottled. It’s a specialty of the Valle d’Aosta in Italy. A cheaper commercial version is made in Canada by soaking blueberries in cider…
Borage Vinegar
Borage vinegar is an herb vinegar, flavoured with borage. The flowers from the borage give it a blue tint. Some people cheat and add a drop or two of blue food colouring as well. Use for salads, marinating fish in. Cooking Tips 3 handfuls (about 1 ½ cups) of fresh borage flowers 4 cups (32…
Burnet Vinegar
Burnet vinegar has the taste of cucumber to it from using the herb called salad burnet. Cooking Tips 5 tablespoons of chopped fresh salad burnet ¾ cup (6 oz / 175 ml) white wine vinegar Well in advance: wash the salad burnet leaves, shake and pat dry, then let stand for all the water to…
Cane Vinegar
Cane vinegar is made from syrup from sugar cane. The cane is harvested, crushed to extract the juice, simmered down into a syrup, and the syrup fermented into vinegar. Good ones are also aged in oak barrels. It has a mellow flavour like malt vinegar, with an added freshness in the mouth. It is not…
Coconut Vinegar
Coconut Vinegar © Denzil Green Coconut Vinegar is made from coconut water, found inside the coconut shell. The coconut water is filtered, sugar is added, and then it is brought to the boiling point to pasteurize it. After this, it is cooled, and yeast is added. It is let ferment for a week, then the…
Fennel Vinegar
Fennel Vinegar is fennel-flavoured vinegar. It can be made from white wine vinegar infused either with fresh fennel leaves, or with fennel seed. Cooking Tips Fennel Seed Vinegar 2 cups (16 oz / 500 ml) white wine vinegar 1 ½ tablespoons of fennel seeds Sterilize a jar or bottle. Crush the fennel seeds, add them…
Horseradish Vinegar
Horseradish Vinegar is vinegar flavoured with horseradish and a few additional seasonings. You started with freshly grated horseradish from a horseradish root. For this reason, most recipes advise that it be made in the late fall, when horseradish roots are at their peak. Some people, like Mrs Beeton, called for the addition of minced shallot…
Mint Vinegar
Mint Vinegar is vinegar flavoured with mint. Good for salads, particularly fruit salads, in gravy for lamb, and to brush on lamb while it’s cooking. Cooking Tips Per 2 cups (16 oz / 500 ml) of vinegar, use 1 to 2 handfuls of fresh mint, crushed lightly a few times to start releasing its essential…
Mother of Vinegar
Mother of Vinegar is a bacterial starter culture used to make vinegar. Mère de vinaigre is a slimy, gummy substance, that you wouldn’t normally want to pitch into something you are later going to consume. When added to the liquid to be made into vinegar, it causes the fermentation that creates the acetic acid and…
Osgood Pie Recipe
This recipe used to be an American favourite at Thanksgiving.
Palm Vinegar
Palm Vinegar is a white, cloudy vinegar made and used in the Philippines. Some are mild, some have a sharp, acidic taste, All have a faint yeasty or musty taste. The vinegar is made from sap from coconut palm trees. The sap is collected from a main artery in the tree, which is tapped. Pots…
Peroxide and Vinegar Sterilization
Peroxide and vinegar applied one after the other can help to safely sanitize produce without resorting to chemicals.
Perry Vinegar
Perry Vinegar is made from Perry, that has vinegar starter culture added to it and that is then allowed to ferment. It has a faint pear flavour. Substitutes Cider vinegar
Pineapple Vinegar
Pineapple vinegar is vinegar with a light pineapple flavour. It is made from the peelings from pineapples that would otherwise be discarded, in preparing them to be canned pineapple. The pineapples need to have been washed before peeling. No leaves or stems are used. Sugar, yeast and water added to the peelings. The mixture is…
Plum Vinegar
Plum Vinegar is a Japanese red vinegar with a mild, salty taste and a sour, fruity aroma. It’s not a true vinegar, as there is actually no acetic acid in it. Instead, the acid in it is citric. Plum Vinegar used to be made from the juices created as a by-product of making Umeboshi. Now,…
Raisin Vinegar
Raisin vinegar is a mild-tasting, cloudy brown vinegar made from raisins. It is used in the Middle East and in Greece. Turkish brands such as Sultan are sold in 16 oz (500 ml) bottles.
Raspberry Vinegar
Raspberry vinegar is made from white wine vinegar flavoured with raspberries, sweetened with some sugar. It is fruity and tart at the same time. Usage suggestions: It is good with duck and pork; Use to deglaze pans; Use on fruit salads; Make a drink from ice water, 2 or 3 tablespoons of Raspberry Vinegar, and…
Seasoned Rice Vinegar
Seasoned Rice Vinegar is a ready-made version of what the Japanese call “Sushi-zu” (sushi vinegar: see separate entry.) It is a vinegar made from sake, and flavoured for you with salt and sugar. It is used for Japanese salads, and to flavour rice for sushi. Some purists prefer to always mix this combination up themselves….
Sherry Vinegar
Sherry Vinegar is a vinegar made from a blend of wines from Palomino Fino grapes. It is aged for a minimum of six years in wooden barrels that previously held sherry. The barrels are arranged in tiers, with the oldest vinegar being in the bottom row and the youngest vinegar being in the barrels on…
Suka Vinegar
Suka Vinegar is made from sap from coconut palm tree flowers in the Philippines. It is not as acidic as most other vinegars. Therefore it is less tart, with more of a sweet taste coming through. To make Suka Vinegar, the sap is allowed to ferment naturally for about 3 weeks. For the first two…