Vinegar? Duh!

Duh! Cooking Thought of the Day

Now, I’m not promising that I’ll post one of these each and every single day, but… When I don’t have some thing else cooking, we’ll toss in some of these. The idea is kind of a combination of “why didn’t I think of that?” ideas, as well as stuff to get you thinking about your cooking and your kitchen. So, here goes;

Vinegar.
Duh, right?
Yeah?
Well then, how many you actually got in your kitchen?
I consider the minimum acceptable contingency to be White, Cider, Red & White Wine, Balsamic, White Balsamic, Malt, and Rice.
Wha? You stutter; why all that?
Weeellllllll, let’s see…

Plain white vinegar is made from grain alcohol and basically tastes nasty, but it’s good for extracting flavors from herbs and spices, and you can add a splash of it to milk for a very workable faux buttermilk substitute, and it’s great for cleaning.

Cider vinegar is our go-to for pickling and marinating; the slightly sweet note just goes well with lotsa things.

Red and white wine vinegars are also every day vinegars, great for dressings and adding dash to a sauce or gastrique.

Balsamic vinegar is indispensable for marinating, salad dressings and as a distinctive, sweet, complex finish to sauces.

Malt is the one for fish, far as I’m concerned, unless you want the lightest vinegar touch possible, and then you turn to rice.

Rice is the least acidic vinegar, and by the way, goes great with its root constituent for a nice little twist in flavor.

And speaking of, when you make flavored vinegars, always keep ’em in the fridge, ’cause nasty bacteria can form at room temp.

All vinegars should be stored tightly closed in a cool, dark place to avoid premature breakdown. They’ll last about a year after opening.

And speaking of last, citrus juices, especially lemon and lime, make great subs for most vinegars,
but not balsamic;
nuthin’ is a sub for balsamic…

Author: urbanmonique

I cook, write, throw flies, and play music in the Great Pacific Northwet. View all posts by urbanmonique