Vinegars
Vinegar is made in two fermentations: yeast turns the sugar in fruit juice or malted grain into alcohol, and acetic acid bacteria then turn that alcohol into acid, which gives vinegar its sour bite.
How to choose Vinegars
- Acidity. US guidance expects table vinegar to carry at least 4 grams of acetic acid per 100 milliliters. Standard vinegar from Jerez must reach 70 grams of acid per liter, Gran Reserva 80, and the sweet Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel types 60.
- Starting point. Cider vinegar is fermented from apple juice, wine vinegar from grapes, malt vinegar from barley malt, and distilled vinegar from dilute alcohol.
- Balsamic of Modena IGP. Cooked or concentrated grape must, the freshly pressed juice, makes up at least 20 percent, wine vinegar at least 10, and the blend rests in wood for 60 days or more. Invecchiato, Italian for aged, means at least three years in wood.
- Traditional balsamic DOP. It ages in barrels of shrinking size for at least 12 years, or 25 for extravecchio.
About Vinegars
Vinegars are sour liquids made by letting bacteria work on wine, cider or another alcohol until it turns acidic. Some are cut with water after fermenting, and US guidance then requires the label to state the acid strength.
Many vinegars then rest in wood, where they mellow and clear as solids settle. Balsamic takes this furthest. Traditional balsamic starts with freshly pressed grape must, cooked in open kettles at about 203°F for up to 12 hours. Its DOP seal, the EU's strictest protected name, means every stage happens in the home area, while the IGP seal on everyday balsamic asks for at least one.
Cooks use vinegar in dressings, sauces and pickles. Kept tightly covered in the cupboard, an unopened bottle holds its quality for about two years, and a slightly cloudy look does not affect it.
At a glance
- Made from
- Wine, cider, malt, grape must or distilled alcohol
- Label terms
- IGP, DOP, invecchiato, Reserva, Gran Reserva
- Main origins
- Modena, Reggio Emilia, Jerez
- Unopened
- About two years, tightly covered
Vinegars questions
What do Reserva and Gran Reserva mean on vinegar from Jerez?
They are age grades under the Vinagre de Jerez designation. Every Jerez vinegar must average at least six months in used wine casks of no more than 1,000 liters, Reserva at least two years and Gran Reserva at least ten. Versions labeled Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel have that sweet wine added during aging, and the rules let them carry a little less acid, 60 grams per liter.
What is the mother in vinegar?
The mother is a film of acetic acid bacteria, the living organisms that turn alcohol into vinegar, and it forms on the surface as a batch sours. Home vinegar makers save a piece to start the next batch instead of buying a starter. Before bottling, they filter it out through cheesecloth and hold the vinegar at 140 to 160°F for 30 minutes to pasteurize it, which kills the remaining bacteria.
Can any vinegar be used for making pickles?
For canned pickles, use a vinegar labeled 5 percent acidity, the strength tested recipes are built on, and never change the recipe's proportions. A steady level of acid throughout the jar is what stops botulinum bacteria from growing. White distilled vinegar keeps light foods such as cauliflower pale, and cider vinegar of the same strength also works. Skip any vinegar of unknown strength.
Sources: US Food and Drug Administration; NC State Extension; Junta de Andalucía specification for Vinagre de Jerez.
