The Colorado statesman., 1919-11-15

prepared By the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)
Vinegar is one of the condiments
which every good cook regards as
necessity on her, pantry shelves. Used
with discretion, food to which 1t is
added will be transformed into a relish
and will give zest to an otherwise In
sipid meal. Along with other grocer
les, vinegar has gone up in price since
the great war, until in many parts
of the country so to go cents gallon
is now the retail market price. The
making of vinegar at home is sim
pie process and not many years ago
was practiced by nearly every one
who could obtain the necessary fruit
Juice. With the present high price OF
vinegar there has been a revival OF
this old household art. Those who
have set up a vinegar keg or barrel,
secure a superior product and at the
same time beat old High Cost of Liv-
ing.
Fruits for Making Vinegar.
Vinegar is usually made from apples,
BIdPtS anu OAdh6SS oAS -N|O
used to some extent. Certain other
fruits, such as blackberries, fgs,
peaches, watermelons (after concentra-
ton of juice), sorghum and cane sirup
have been used with good results. Many
wild fruits, such as the blackberry. ell
derberry and persimmon, which IRE
quently are not completely or properly
utilized, will make excellent vinegar.
AS matter of fact, any wholesome
fruit or vegetable juice can be used for
vinegar making, provided 1t contains
sufficient sugar. Some fruits, such as
the guava or Kieffer pear, contain only
five to eight per cent of sugar, which
Is not sufficient to make a strong, sat
isfactory vinegar.
Fruit used for making vinegar
should be sound and fully ripe. for
ripe fruit contains more sugar and con-
sequently produces stronger vinegar.
Partially decayed fruit is no better for
vinegar making than for eating and
should not be used. Select sound, ripe
fruit, wash thoroughly, and remove all
decayed portions. Crush either in
machine made for this purpose, such as
a cider mill, or for small quantities,
a food chopper. Squeeze out the
Juice in a press and put into a clean
barrel, keg or crock for fermentation.
Great care should be taken to have
all the utensils thoroughly cleaned
and to handle the fruit in a cleanly
manner. If old kegs or barrels, espe-
cially old vinegar barrels, are useo'
they should be cleansed Thoroughly
and all traces Of the old vinegar re-
moved. If this is not done the old
vinegar will Interfere with the alco-
holic fermentation and possibly spoil
the product.
Start Fermentation.
After the Juice has been squeezed
out add a fresh yeast cake to every
five gallons of juice. A good fermenta-
tion often results from chance inocu-
Iation with the wild yeast of the
air. This is the method ordinarily fol-
/. lowed in making cider vinegar. Ex-
periments have shown, however, that
much stronger vinegar can be made
by using yeast to start the fermenta-
ton. Work the yeast up thoroughly
in about one-half cupful OF the juice
and add to the expressed juice, SUR
ring thoroughly. Cover with a cloth
to keep insects from 1t and allow to
ferment. The best temperature Tor
fermentation is between 80 and 80 de-
grees. Do not put in cold cellar or
the fermentation will be too slow. AT
so to 90 degrees alcoholic fermenta-
ton will usually be complete In from
three to four days to a week, or when
working" starts, as indicated by the
cessation of bubbling. The next step
in the process is acetic acid fermenta-
tion, during which the alcohol Is
changed into acetic acid.
After the bubbling stops 1t Will De
found advantageous to add some good
strong vinegar in the proportion OF one
gallon of vinegar to three or four gal
Ions of fermented juice. Usually, how
ever, no vinegar is added and the In
oculation of the fermented juice with
acetic acid bacteria is left to chance.
This chance incubation generally pro-.
duces more or less satisfactory prod
uct, but If the vinegar is added, the
results are much better. Instead OF
vinegar one may add good quantity
of so-caIIed mother" If 'mother" Is
used, however, use only that growing
n the surface of the vinegar. Vinegar