Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-09-16
A GROCER'S TALK ON VINEGAR
Grace Murray Stephenson in Good Housekeep-
ing for August

Grace Murray Stephenson in Good Housekeep-
ing for August.
"Why don't you make your own
vinegar?" asked my grocer, as | gave
him an order for a gallon of his best.
"Oh, it's too much bother, and be.
sides | don't know how" l answered,
putting the chief reason last.
"Well. it's the simplest thing in the
world" he replied, "and is so much
healthier that one can afford to take
what little trouble it is"
We often had plain talks on the sub
ject Of food adulteration, and l had
profited so much by his information
that | gladly listened to what he had
to say on the subject of vinegar. He
said in substance that much OF the
vinegar on the market is made by
pouring a very poor solution Of alco.
hol over beech shavings or birch twigs
that have been soaked in strong vine.
gar usually adding hydrochloric and
sulphuric acids. Now these acids in
themselves are bad enough, but when
they come in contact with copper,
brass, tin or zine, portion OF these
metals is dissolved and the vinegar
becomes still more poisonous. 1t will
eat the tops of fruit jars, if used for
pickles, until they become encrusted
and feel sticky to the touch, and the
pickles get soft and mushy after a
time and often lose all sour taste. 1t
also eats the glaze on the inside of
stone jugs, and hence should be kept
in glass jars or bottles.
There are few excellent pure vine-
egars on the market. but so few people
know the injurious effects OF the cheap
er grades that there is not the sale for
them that there should be. The old
fashioned cider vinegar is the cheapest
and safest to use, but since the tenn.
perance people have done so much to
discourage the use OF cider, the farm
ers do not make as much as formerly,
and consequently do not mahe the
vinegar.
If it is impossible to get vinegar
from q farmer or some person who
makes it for sale, there are number
of simple ways of making it at home.
l have found it very little trouble, it
costs nothing, and you know what you
are using. Half-gallon fruit jars are
better than stone jugs to make it in, as
a larger surface is exposed to the light
and air, and by shaking often, oxyge-
nation, souring. is hastened. A cloth
should, Of course, be tied over the top
to keep out insects and dust. The
jars should be set in the sun, and
whenever the fluid has worked clear,
strain off and leave it in warm place
until it is as sharp as desired. When
mother forms, new vinegar can be
made by simply adding sweetened wa
ter. Always use soft water, but if it is
not available, boil the water and set it
in the sun a day or two.
Vinegar from Apple Parings.-Fill
jar half full of parings, add one-half
teacup molasses, and fill up with wa
ter. Set in the sun and strain for use
in about two weeks.
Corn Vinegar-Put one teacup
shelled corn and one teacup brown
sugar or molasses in a jar. Fill up
with water and set in the sun. This
takes three weeks to make but is one
OF the very best vinegars.
Tomato Vinegar.-Mash one quart
ripe tomatoes to q pulp. Strain the
juice and put in jar with one teacup
sugar or molasses. Fill the jar with
soft water and set in the sun for two
weeks.
Yeast Vinegar.-Dssolve one.half
teacup brown sugar in one pint warm
water, add one small yeast cake. Fill
the jar with water. This will be ready
for use in two weeks.