Vinegars and their Culinary Uses

Hippocrates praised its medicinal qualities, the Roman’s made a beverage from it and Cleopatra dissolved precious pearls in it to win a wager.  Vinegar or vin aigre, simply meaning sour wine in French, is one of the oldest and most common condiments found in the pantry. Vinegar is an essential ingredient in many classic culinary preparations including pickling, vinaigrettes, chutney and rich butter based sauces such as buerre blanc. Wine, rice, beer, sherry, fruit and even coconut are all used to produce vinegar but regardless of variety, all vinegars are the product of fermentation. Alcohol such as wine is oxidized by acetic acid bacteria producing vinegar; only good quality alcohol such as wine will produce high quality vinegar. Not all vinegars are created equally but investing in a great vinegar will brighten a dish adding depth and flavor, what’s more a great vinegar will last forever and only improve with age. The number of vinegars packing the pantry may seem overwhelming but try experimenting with different flavors and varieties. These are a few of our favorites:

Balsamic Vinegar

Authentic Balsamic vinegar from Modena Italy is made from sugary trebbiano grapes and aged in casks made from different varieties of wood for a minimum of twelve years. Balsamic has a rich, full bodied, mellow flavor with the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Dark and white balsamic both have a similar flavor although white balsamic is less sweet and has a lighter consistency with a clean after taste. Use balsamic to deglaze cooking pans; enrich sauces and dress salads and vegetables. For a quick dessert, drizzle aged balsamic over strawberries, peaches and even ice cream.

Wine Vinegar

Wine vinegars have been produced in France for centuries; the town of Orleans became the center of vinegar production, lending its name to the process used to produce it, the Orleans Method. Craftsmen pour red or white wine into oak casks already containing a small quantity of vinegar that is always kept in the cask. The resulting vinegar is fresh, perfumed and acid without being harsh or bitter. Try champagne vinegar in delicate buerre blancs and rich hollandaise sauces. To dress greens, whisk one part vinegar with salt, pepper and three parts extra virgin oil to make a light, fruity vinaigrette.

Flavored Vinegars

Fruit and herbs are often used to infuse and flavor vinegars including tarragon, basil, raspberry and even passion fruit. Traditional fruit vinegars are made using fruit wines but many contemporary fruit vinegars use the pulp and the essence of the fruit to give a tart and tangy punch of flavor to marinades and dressings.  Try blending raspberry vinegar with a dash of olive oil for an instant sauce, the perfect accompaniment to duck and other game.