The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-04-10
Cider or Acid Vinegar.

Cider or Acid vinegar.
Cider vinegar Is an article little
known to the inhabitants of our large
cities. Possibly and even probably this
is true of our smaller cities, and even
of our towns. 1t is doubtful if there be
any other article of food where the i'm
itation has so fully taken possession
of the market as with vinegar. In many
cases it is not possible to get pure
cider vinegar. One has but to attend
a convention of cider vinegar makers
to have his eyes opened to the astound-
ing fact that their business is largely
in collapse, as the honest article is
unable to compete with the false. After
attending such a meeting some three
years ago, the writer returned to his
home determined to find out IL he had
been using acid vinegar all these years
when he had been buying what was adj
vertised as cider vinegar. AS 1t hap
pened, he was trading at the store OF
the most reputable grocer in his neigh
borhood, and so could expect to find
the true product there If anywhere.
Asking the price Of vinegar, he was
told that white wine vinegar was 20
cents per gallon, cider vinegar rs cents
gallon. He wanted cider vinegar,
but he wanted still more to know if
that cider vinegar had ever had any
cider in it. He got the grocer aside and
briefly gave him an extemporaneou
lecture on the state and conditions OF
the traffic in cider vinegar, and also as
to its manufacture and the high price
at which it had to be sold in the mar
ket, taking into consideration the high
price Of apples. He did this to i'm
press on the grocer the idea that he
knew SO much about the ms and outs
of the vinegar trade that it would be
useless to try to fool him. Then, to
make it easy for said grocer to tell the
truth, he put his question in this way:
are selling for cider vinegar il not
cider vinegar, but what want to know
is, why you do not keep some real
genuine cider vinegar for such people
as myself who are willing to pay Tor
it?" The reply Of the grocer was rea-
sonable and to the point. He said: II
am aware that the vinegar sell is not
cider vinegar altogether, though there
may be some cider in it. I would be
glad to keep the genuine article If I
could sell it, but can't. 1 would have
to sell it at 40 cents gallon to make
any profit on it. But here is the trou-
BILE, and the reason why would not be
q n 90 vi nf 70 II oh,
40 cents for my best cider vinegar. My
competitors would advertise that they
had genuine cider vinegar and would
sell 1t for 25 cents gallon. They
would make as much noise over the
imitation article as I could over my
genuine article, and people would be-
lieve them, and buy where they thought
they were getting It the cheapest We
are obliged to sell as cheaply as others,
and there is probably not a grocer
among hundreds that is selling vine
gar without acids. The people are
themselves TO blame, for they will not
use good judgment, but expect to get
things even below the wholesale price,"
The grocer further justified himself
by saying that perhaps the acid prod
uct was as good and sometimes betta
than that made from cider; at least be
believed it was better for making pick
les, for cider vinegar always eats cut
the heart of the cucumber and leaves II
hollow" The above reply will indicate
somewhat the scarcity of non-imitation
vinegar; it being so little used that
grocer could make statement IKE
the last one quoted, and believe 1t.
In addition it is to the interest Of
merchants to handle the vinegar made
from acids, since the profits are larger.
Sulphuric and muriatic acid cost but
little, and these are the chief acids of
which the common product Is made.
Someone has said that not more than
two pounds of either Is needed to make
barrel Of the stuff sold on the market
as vinegar.
AS to remedies, there is great diver
sity OF opinion. In Illinois and many
other states there is no law to prevent
this wholesale swindling of the people
Laws have been advocated by the diff
ferent state societies interested in
such matters, but have never got be-
yond their introduction in the legis-
lature. The general trouble with them
has been they were SO very radical as
to be unconstitutional. They called for
total prohibition Of the manufacture Of
acid vinegar; while the most a consti-
tutional law, in Illinois at least, could
do, would be to prevent acid vinegar
from being sold as cider vinegar. Such
law should be passed In every state
where one does not already exist. How
ever, little real relief could be hoped
for from any legal measure. The most
feasible plan would seem to be to bring
the producer and consumer together by
correspondence. This would neeessi-
tate the consumer buying his vinegar
in larger quantities than is his custom
when he depends on the corner gro
Gerry. Some orchardists that are max
ing vinegar have adopted this plan, and
also put up their product In kegs con-
tos Id, k,,k