When it comes to cooking, vinegar has more to do than just appear as an ingredient in recipes.
It can perform miracle tricks to improve flavor, preserve food, fill in missing ingredients, and even enhance food. This can prevent ingredient spoilage and the occasional cooking disaster. In fact, if you add a drop here and there during the preparation process, vinegar can change the entire personality of certain foods. In this article, we will show you many ways to add vinegar in the kitchen.
Basics
: When you reach the bottom of the ketchup bottle, add a little vinegar and swish the ketchup around to spread it further. This technique will work for other spices as well.
eggs: You can hard boil a cracked egg by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to boiling water. The vinegar will prevent the egg whites from curdling.
Add a tablespoon or so of vinegar when grilling or broiling fish to reduce fishy taste and smell and keep the meat tender.
Give canned shrimp and fish a fresh-caught flavor by covering them in sherry and adding 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Soak for 15 minutes, then adjust as needed.
To whiten fish, soak it in a mixture of 1 quart water and 2 tablespoons vinegar for 20 minutes.
: When cooking fruit on the stove, add a spoonful of vinegar to improve the taste.
When making mashed potatoes, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar after using enough milk. This will help keep the potatoes white. Whisk them to desired consistency.
In tomato sauces or tomato-based soups, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar before finishing the cooking process. The flavors will be enhanced.
Meat: Add zip to a pound of hamburger by adding garlic wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon mustard. Add these ingredients to the meat before making the patties.
Improve the flavor of boiled ham by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the cooking water.
Vinegar’s acidic content and strong flavor make it an excellent ingredient in marinating meat, poultry, fish or vegetables. Vinegar can also tenderize tough cuts of meat.
Baking tips
Vinegar really comes in handy when it comes time to do some baking.
: Use vinegar to see if old baking soda is still good enough for baking. In a small dish, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. A good baking soda will make the vinegar foam significantly.
: Get a nice, golden brown crust on homemade bread by removing it from the oven shortly before the baking time is up and brushing it with vinegar. Return to oven to finish baking.
You can help homemade bread rise by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every 21/2 cups of flour in the recipe. Reduce the other liquids in the recipe proportionately.
: Add vinegar to the egg whites before whipping to make a fluffier meringue that is also more stable. Add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar for every 3 egg whites in the recipe.
: Add a teaspoon of vinegar to reduce the overly sweet taste of fruit pies or other desserts.
As you’ll see in the next section, vinegar has other uses in the kitchen — such as for food preservation or as a recipe substitute.
More kitchen uses for vinegar
Besides working wonders with cooking and baking, vinegar is useful in other ways. It can be used in food preservation and as an alternative ingredient in recipes. You can even make your own vinegar.
Food preservation
Cheese: Wrap leftover hard cheese in a vinegar-soaked cloth, then store in an airtight container. This will prevent the cheese from becoming moldy or too hard.
Fruits and vegetables: Refresh wilted greens such as spinach or lettuce by soaking them in 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon vinegar.
Prescription Alternatives
There’s nothing more frustrating than when you’re cooking and realize an ingredient is missing. Vinegar came to the rescue as an alternative.
Buttermilk: As an alternative to buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon of vinegar into 1 cup of whole milk, and let it sit for a few minutes. Then measure the amount called for in the recipe.
Lemon and Lime: Vinegar can be used in any recipe that contains lemon or lime juice. Use 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar for every tablespoon of lemon or lime juice.
Salt: Instead of salt, use vinegar for foods like potatoes or other vegetables. Just spray lightly.
alcohol: You can substitute vinegar for wine in any recipe if you dilute it with water first. Mix a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, then use whatever amount is called for in your recipe in place of the alcohol.
Making vinegar from scratch
You can have a lot of fun making all the different types of vinegar using your favorite ingredients.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Plain apple cider vinegar can easily be made into apple cider vinegar if allowed to sit in an open bottle for about 5 weeks. The bottle should be kept at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It will first become hard cider and then vinegar. Make quick apple cider vinegar using plain apple cider. Just add brown sugar, molasses, or yeast, and watch it boil.
Chili Vinegar: Add 3 ounces of chopped chilies to 1 quart of vinegar, and store in a sealed bottle for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, strain the liquid. For a tastier, stronger vinegar, let the peppers steep longer for flavor.
Variation: For fruit salads, skip the onion for a very mild vinegar.
Variation: Use 1 quart of red wine vinegar for the resulting vinegar, which can be used in place of fresh garlic in most recipes. A teaspoon of garlic vinegar is equal to a small clove of garlic.
Hot Chili Vinegar: Pour 1 pint of vinegar into a clean bottle with a cap, then add 1/2 ounce of cayenne pepper. Let the mixture sit out of direct sunlight for 2 weeks. Shake the bottle every other day. After 2 weeks, strain and pour into a separate clean bottle for use.