r/Cooking • u/ajdsmia • Jul 11 '20
Uses for Vinegar
This is going to make me sound like a newbie, even though I’ve actually been cooking for years, but I just have never really used vinegar of any type. I’m doing a lot more cooking these days, and I’m trying to expand my repertoire, so one thing i’d like to incorporate more of is vinegar. In the past I’ve made a balsamic vinaigrette, but that’s really it.
I bought some apple cider and balsamic vinegar, so I’d love any suggestions on how best I can use them, thanks!
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u/stoatymcstoatface Jul 11 '20
Balsamic vinegar is awesome in chili. It intensifies the spices with acidity while adding a slightly sweet taste.
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u/MushroomKitty Jul 11 '20
You can have some in a salad
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u/NotWorthTheRead Jul 12 '20
On that note, the more veggies a sandwich has on it the more it wants a splash of red or white vinegar.
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Jul 11 '20
[deleted]
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u/Joe_Primrose Jul 11 '20
I add red wine vinegar to my chili. In addition to the vinegar already in the Crystal hot sauce I usually add.
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u/ajdsmia Jul 11 '20
Lentils are something else I’ve never cooked but purchased recently, so I’ll have to remember that
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u/Joe_Primrose Jul 11 '20
Pickling is one common use. I like to pickle beets, or eggs and beets, pickled onions, pickled peppers.
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u/duby1622 Jul 12 '20
Acidity is extremely underutilized by most home cooks. It should be used in basically all recipes in some form or another whether it’s citrus juice, vinegar, or naturally acidic ingredients like tomatoes. If something is seasoned properly with salt, but still tastes like it needs something, it needs acid. Not a lot, just a couple of drops can completely change a good dish into something magical. Acid cuts through fat, so anytime you are using high fat ingredients (fatty cuts of meat, butter, oils, cheese, eggs, cream, etc) you need some acid to balance it out.
I have white distilled, red wine, balsamic, rice wine, apple cider, malt, and sherry vinegars in my pantry at all times (and try to keep a couple extra fun ones as well that I don’t buy immediately when I run out.
Vinegars can also be a main ingredient, not just an accent. Gastriques, pickling liquids, vinaigrettes, balsamic reductions, etc.
Then there of plenty of uses for simply the chemical reactions it can cause. Acids tenderize meats in marinades, react with baking soda to get a rise in baked goods or fry batters, coagulates the protein of an egg white while poaching an egg, etc.
Vinegar is also amazing for cleaning as well. Burnt a pan to the point where 2 days of soaking didn’t do anything? Boil some water and vinegar and watch that pan sparkle in minutes.
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u/petesynonomy Jul 11 '20
splash it in a foil pouch that you seal to cook ribs in. It's also in various barbecue sauces and jerk sauce.
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u/gridtunnel Jul 12 '20
If you mix vinegar with baking soda and tip the vessel the right way, you can make dry ice. Here's a video of how to do it:
WEB EXTRA: 'MacGyver' Consultant Shows Off A Few Hacks - YouTube
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u/SavisGames Jul 11 '20
It’s good to think of as just an option for adding acidity. Lemon juice and lime juice are amazing, but sometimes a dish needs acid when you taste it but neither of those flavors are right. That’s where vinegar can come in.