A Sour Taste

by RogerJuly 4, 2023

Vinegar has been around thousands of years, and it is one of the most important sources of acid to a home cook. Even though it’s common, it can be a bit mysterious. In this episode I dive into what vinegar is, how it’s made, and some common uses for the sour superstar in the home cook’s kitchen.

Mentioned in this Episode

Vinegar has been around thousands of years, and is an integral ingredient in every cuisine. Vinegar comes from ethanol (alcohol) through a process of fermentation.

How is apple cider vinegar made?

Can I make my own vinegar? You can! Here are a couple of articles that explain the process. The Cultured Guru explains how to make vinegar from fruit. The Spruce Eats shows how to make a red wine vinegar.

There are a huge variety of vinegars (and even more sub varieties among the main categories). The types of vinegars talk about in this episode include distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, red and white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, and malt vinegar. This article does a pretty good job explaining these, along with some I didn’t mention, like sherry vinegar, black vinegar, and champagne vinegar.

The San Diego Union-Tribune has a great article on bitter greens, and several of the recipes include vinegar.

Every home cook should know how to whip up a vinaigrette. Once you get the basics, you can improvise to your heart’s content. Need some vinaigrette inspo? Bon Appetit has you covered.

Yes, you can make a pan sauce with vinegar.

Quick pickling is probably my favorite thing to do with vinegar.