The Science of Vinegar The Science of Vinegar This pantry staple is one of the most useful ingredients in your kitchen. Here’s why. by David Joachim, Andrew Schloss fromFine Cooking Issue 116 There are dozens of types of vinegar. Anything that contains sugar, from grapes to rice, can be made into this common ingredient. It’s a two-step process: First, yeast feeds on the sugar and ferments it into alcohol; second, harmless bacteria called Acetobacter feed on the alcohol and ferment it into a sour-tasting byproduct, which the French first dubbed vinaigre, or “sour wine.” That sourness, or acidity, is essential to our enjoyment of food—look no further than a salad dressing, sauce, or marinade to taste why. But aside from enhancing flavor, vinegar also has the unique ability to alter the color and texture of foods. Read on to learn how it works its magic. Why does vinegar taste sour? Acids are volatile molecules that release positive hydrogen ions. These ions have a pro-found effect on the other molecules in foods (more on that later).

They can also affect the cells in your body, but fortunately our taste buds help us regulate the amount of free hydrogen ions we eat by making us perceive acids as sour tasting. A small amount makes food taste bright and fresh, while too much tastes unpleasantly sour. Most vinegars don’t just taste sour, though. The acid in vinegar is primarily acetic acid, which makes up 4 to 7 percent of table vinegars. Distilled white vinegar, for example, is 5 percent acetic acid and 95 percent water; it has the harsh sourness of acetic acid alone. In other vinegars, that harshness is tamed by other acids. Red wine vinegar tastes of tartaric acid, the structure-building acid in wine, and apple cider vinegar has the green apple flavor of malic acid. Depending on the variety, vinegar can contribute sweet, buttery, malty, and savory flavors, as well as woody aromas from aging in wooden barrels, evidenced in balsamic and sherry vinegars. How does vinegar affect the color of fruits and vegetables? The hydrogen ions released from vinegar displace magnesium in the chlorophyll molecules of green vegetables, turning bright green chlorophyll a drab olive color.

That’s why flavoring broccoli with vinegar discolors it. To keep green vegetables from discoloring, flavor them with non-acidic ingredients instead, such as citrus zest, herbs, and spices. Vinegar has the opposite effect on plant pigments known as anthocyanins: It brightens red fruits and vegetables like sour cherries and red cabbage. Anthocyanins appear red under acidic conditions and turn blue under alkaline conditions. When boiled in alkaline cooking water (urban water is often made alkaline to prevent pipe erosion), red cabbage turns turquoise blue. Similarly, sour cherries develop a blue outer ring in muffins because baking powder makes the batter alkaline. The trick to keeping anthocyanin pigments bright red is to maintain acidic conditions. Cooking red cabbage with vinegar keeps it red; cherries stay red in muffins if there’s a little vinegar (or another acid, like buttermilk) in the batter. Vinegar can also preserve the color of white-fleshed produce like apples and potatoes, which discolor when cut. The cut cells release enzymes that cause phenolic compounds previously held within the cells to bond with oxygen, creating brown-tinted melanin pigments in the flesh.

Adding an acid like vinegar slows down the enzyme activity and helps prevent browning. How does vinegar alter the texture of food? Vinegar’s free hydrogen ions interact with proteins and starches, altering their molecular structure and changing their texture and consistency. Here are some of the practical ways vinegar can affect texture: It coagulates protein. Vinegar breaks the chemical bonds that hold protein strings in a twist, causing the proteins to denature or unravel and “tenderize.” This commonly occurs when meat is marinated in a vinegar-based marinade. With continued exposure to acid, the unraveled protein strings eventually bump into each other and form new bonds. These bonds gradually coagulate the proteins, re-forming them into a much more rigid structure. The popular South American raw dish ceviche is based on acid’s ability to denature and coagulate protein without heat: sliced raw fish is “cooked” in acidic ingredients until opaque and firm, but without the flavor changes that would occur if the fish were exposed to high temperatures.

(On the other hand, acids can “overcook” meats when they marinate for too long, ultimately making them mushy.) Similarly, when fresh milk is mixed with vinegar, milk proteins called “casein” coagulate into curds. Buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, and cheese are all based on this thickening effect. In cheese making, the acid is usually produced through the fermentation of lactobacillus bacteria, but simple cheeses like cottage cheese can be made by adding vinegar to fresh milk. Protein coagulation also occurs when you poach eggs in water with vinegar. The heat of the poaching liquid alone causes the egg proteins to form bonds that help the egg white set neatly around the yolk, but with the addition of vinegar, these bonds form earlier. Because the proteins coagulate before they are unraveled fully by the heat, they can’t intertwine and bond as tightly with one another. As a result, the cooked eggs are more tender. It keeps pasta from sticking. When pasta is cooked in alkaline tap water, calcium and magnesium ions in the water can cause the pasta to release more starch, making it sticky on the surface.

Adding a tablespoon of vinegar to the pasta water acidifies the water and reduces stickiness. This is helpful when using pasta in a salad, where stickiness is undesirable, and the flavor of the vinegar just blends in with the tartness of the dressing. It thins overly thickened sauces. When you add a touch of vinegar to a sauce that’s thickened with flour or cornstarch, the acid breaks the starch chains that thicken the sauce into shorter pieces, which thins out the sauce much more than the same amount of water or other nonacidic liquid would. It makes high-rising egg foams. When you beat egg whites for a meringue or soufflé, tough proteins can coagulate into tiny lumps, making the beaten whites grainy. Adding about 1/4 teaspoon vinegar per egg white slows the formation of sulfur bonds (the tightest and toughest bonds involved in protein coagulation), so that the beaten whites are silky and glossy and rise higher and more evenly when baked. The flavor of such a small amount of vinegar is barely noticeable. (Cream of tartar is an acid and works the same way.) It maintains the texture of cooked beans.

Plant cells contain substances called hemicelluloses, which act as a kind of glue to hold the cells together. Acids make hemicelluloses more stable and less soluble. That’s why baked beans that are cooked in a sweet-and-sour sauce can be simmered for hours and reheated repeatedly without disintegrating. How Acidic is vinegar? The acidity of an ingredient is measured by its pH. Pure water is considered neutral and has a pH of 7. Anything with a pH higher than 7 is called alkaline. Anything with a pH lower than 7 is acidic, and the lower the pH number, the stronger the acid. The pH scale is logarithmic, which means that each number in the scale describes acidity that is 10 times stronger than the number preceding it. The Healing History of Vinegar - Health Benefits of Vinegar | HowStuffWorks The Healing History of Vinegar Prev Next Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid that results from a two-step fermentation process. The first step is the fermentation of sugar into alcohol, usually by yeast. Any natural source of sugar can be used.

For example, the sugar may be derived from the juice, or cider, of fruit (such as grapes, apples, raisins, or even coconuts); from a grain (such as barley or rice); from honey, molasses, or sugar cane; or even, in the case of certain distilled vinegars, from the cellulose in wood (such as beech). ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. The word "vinegar" comes from the French word for "sour wine." What you have at the end of this first phase, then, is an alcohol-containing liquid, such as wine (from grapes), beer (from barley), hard cider (from apples), or another fermented liquid. (The alcoholic liquid used to create a vinegar is generally reflected in the vinegar's name -- for example, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, malt vinegar, or cider vinegar.) In the second phase of the vinegar-production process, certain naturally occurring bacteria known as acetobacters combine the alcohol-containing liquid with oxygen to form the acetic-acid solution we call vinegar. Acetic acid is what gives vinegar its sour taste. Although time-consuming, this second phase of the process will happen without human intervention if the alcoholic liquid is exposed to oxygen long enough.

Thus, it is not surprising that the first vinegar was the result of an ancient accident. Once upon a time, a keg of wine (presumably a poorly sealed one that allowed oxygen in) was stored too long, and when the would-be drinkers opened it, they found a sour liquid instead of wine. The name "vinegar" is derived from the French words for "sour wine." Fortunately, our resourceful ancestors found ways to use the "bad" wine. They put it to work as a cure-all, a food preservative, and later, a flavor enhancer. It wasn't long before they figured out how to make vinegar on purpose, and producing it became one of the world's earliest commercial industries. The use of vinegar as medicine probably started soon after it was discovered. Its healing virtues are extolled in records of the Babylonians, and the great Greek physician Hippocrates reportedly used it as an antibiotic. Ancient Greek doctors poured vinegar into wounds and over dressings as a disinfectant, and they gave concoctions of honey and vinegar to patients recovering from illness. In Asia, early samurai warriors believed vinegar to be a tonic that would increase their strength and vitality.

Vinegar continued to be used as a medicine in more recent times. During the Civil War and World War I, for example, military medics used vinegar to treat wounds. And folk traditions around the world still espoused vinegar for a wide variety of ailments. Natural-healing enthusiasts and vinegar fans continue to honor and use many of those folk remedies. Early Wines and Vinegars Scientists believe wine originated during the Neolithic period (approximately 8500 b.c. to 4000 b.c., when humans first began farming and crafting stone tools) in Egypt and the Middle East. Large pottery jugs dating back to 6000 b.c. that were unearthed in archeological digs possessed a strange yellow residue. Chemical analysis revealed the residue contained calcium tartrate, which is formed from tartaric acid, a substance that occurs naturally in large amounts only in grapes. So the traces strongly suggested the jugs were used to make or hold wine. Considering the slow grape-pressing methods used at that time and the heat of the desert environment, grape juice would likely have fermented into wine quite quickly. Likewise, the wine would have turned to vinegar rapidly, if conditions were right.

So how did these ancient people -- who had only recently (in evolutionary terms) begun planting their own food and fashioning tools -- manage to understand and control fermentation enough to prevent all their wine from turning to vinegar before they could drink it? Based on evidence found in archeological excavations, scientists believe that the first winemakers used jars with clay stoppers that helped control the fermentation process. A complete analysis of the residue left in those ancient wine jugs also showed the presence of terebinth tree resin, which acts as a natural preservative and therefore would have helped slow the transformation of wine into vinegar. In Neolithic times, terebinth trees grew in the same area as grapes, and their berries and resin were harvested at the same time of year. So it's quite plausible that some of the berries or resins may have inadvertently become mixed with the grape harvest. Still unclear is whether the ancient winemakers ever made the connection between the resins and the delayed conversion of wine into vinegar and began purposely adding the tree berries to their wine. Vinegar's zesty taste offers some health benefits, but not all that some people claim. Go to the next page to learn about the nutritional value of vinegar.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider. Up Next The Science Behind Salt and Vinegar Chips | Serious Eats The Science Behind Salt and Vinegar Chips 39 [Photographs: Daniel Souza] Despite what the image above may suggest, salt and vinegar chips are not made by pouring salt and vinegar into a bag of potato chips (I know, what a bummer). Before vinegar (and it's brow-sweating acetic acid) can be added to a chip, it needs to be processed into a dry foodstuff that will stick to, and more importantly not sog out, a potato chip. How do chip companies do it?

Well, many use a process that involves spraying a thin layer of vinegar onto maltodextrin (a light, slightly sweet, flavorless powder derived from starch) or other modified food starch. Maltodextrin's porous structure absorbs a great deal of vinegar flavor, and the mixture can then be dried into a robust powder. Alternatively, many use sodium diacetate, a 1:1 ratio of sodium acetate and acetic acid, which provides salt and vinegar flavor in a dry mixture. Salt and vinegar chips were first produced in the 1950s (thanks Tayto brand!) and it's easy to assume that these dry vinegar technologies were born out of the same era—the one that delivered us boxed cake mixes and Cheeze Whiz. In reality, the method of combining starch and vinegar and letting it dry is actually really old. No, I mean really old. Here's a home recipe for dry vinegar from The English Housewife: Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to be in a Complete Woman, published in 1615!

To make dry vinegar which you may carry in your pocket, you shall take blades of green corn, either wheat or rye, and beat it in a mortar with the strongest vinegar you can get till it come to a paste; then roll it into little balls, and dry it in the sun till it be very hard; when you have an occasion to use it, cut a little piece thereof and dissolve it in wine, and it will make a strong vinegar. So does this mean that there's little new happening in the world of salt and vinegar chips? Hardly. In compiling this guide, I found that chip makers are using a wide range of flavoring agents and acids to create unique chips. Surprisingly, a couple brands in our line-up opt for citric (citrus fruits), malic (apples), lactic (milk), and even fumaric (lichen) acids to give them pucker and punch! Lactose makes a frequent appearance, often lending creamy, sometimes cheesy, background flavor. And our old friends monosodium glutamate and the free nucleotides show up (in both natural and isolated forms) in a few offerings.

It's a crazy chip world out there, and so I designed this guide to give a peek into the innerworkings of each brand. I haven't ranked the chips but the SE'rs did last year. [See: Salt & Vinegar Chips Taste Test. ] Instead, I ranked these on an acidity scale. Acidity Scale: 1 (extremely mild) to 10 (extremely acid); the brands are listed in descending acidity levels. Utz Salt 'n Vinegar Acidity: 10 Ingredients of Interest: lactose, sodium diacetate, malic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid Tasting Notes: Utz really took the gloves off on this one. By far the biggest acidic punch of the line-up and they achieve it with four different acids: acetic, malic, citric, and fumaric! A little research reveals that fumaric acid is found in mushrooms and lichen and is categorized as the strongest organic food acid in terms of sourness. It sure is. Humpty Dumpty Salt & Vinegar Acidity: 9 Ingredients of Interest: corn maltodextrin, sodium diacetate, malic acid Tasting Notes: These definitely got my forehead sweating.

Another old school salt and vinegar chip from the days when men could really hold their vinegar. Acidity: 8 Ingredients of Interest: white vinegar, maltodextrin, citric acid Tasting Notes: They use a heavy hand with the vinegar powder, producing a chip that's fit for serious vinegar heads. Citric acid pushes it over the top. Unlike some chips that contain lactose or other sweetener that serves to mellow acidity, these guys are sharp and focused. If you taste carefully, you can feel the generous amount of maltodextrin melt into a vinegar film on your tongue. Cape Cod Sea Salt & Vinegar Acidity: 8 Ingredients of Interest: maltodextrin, vinegar solids, sodium diacetate Tasting Notes: Cape Cod's classic, slightly sweet spud laced with a fair shake of vinegar. These feel like direct competition to Kettle Brand in flavor and intensity, but with a with a bit more natural sweetness. Addictive balance. Walkers Salt & Vinegar Acidity: 7 Ingredients of Interest: glucose, sugar, potassium chloride, citric acid, yeast extract.

Tasting Notes: What's really of interest is the ingredient that isn't listed: acetic acid, in any of its forms. Knowing that I was dealing with tricky British English I even re read the ingredient list a few times to be sure. It's true, all of the acidity comes from citric acid! Can one tell it's not vinegar? It's hard to say considering that I read the ingredients before I tasted them. I see a blind taste test in my chip future. Wise Salt & Vinegar Acidity: 6 Ingredients of Interest: lactose, sodium diacetate Tasting Notes: This is a balanced, old-school salt and vinegar chip. Wise seems to fry a little longer than the rest, giving their chips a background of baked potato flavor. It works with the vinegar, which is persistent but manageable. There's some sweetness and creaminess from lactose, and here again we are see malic acid in the mix. My Dad has always loved Wise chips. I'm starting to think the old man was on to something.

Utz Classics Old English Style Salt and Malt Vinegar Chips Acidity: 5.5 Ingredients of Interest: sodium diacetate, maltodextrin, malic acids, apple juice solids, malt vinegar, citric acid Tasting Notes: These are worlds away from the acidic wallop of Utz's traditional offering, but they still boast a satisfying vinegar snap. Here it's balanced by something slightly creamy (lactose happens to be the third ingredient in the list after potatoes and oil) and a respectable malt flavor. Tayto Salt & Vinegar Acidity: 5.5 Ingredients of Interest: malt vinegar powder, lactose, potassium chloride, msg, sodium 5 ribonucleotide, citric acid Tasting Notes: Considering that these were the guys that started it all back in the 1950's, I kind of expected their ingredient list to be the shortest and simplest--salt, vinegar, and perhaps a bit of well deserved swagger. In the end they turned out to be one of the oddest combinations. There's a respectable amount of acidity from the malt vinegar powder, but the blast of msg and sodium 5 ribonucleotide pulls this flavor train in a very different, very meaty direction.

Lay's Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Vinegar Acidity: 5.5 Ingredients of Interest: corn maltodextrin, buttermilk, lactose, sugar, dextrose, yeast extract, citric acid Tasting Notes: Middle of the road acidity comes from vinegar, buttermilk, and citric acid, but it's well buffered by a distinct creaminess and plenty of sweetener. These guys add an element of umami, here via yeast extract, and the result is a shift from straight salt and vinegar towards roundness and complexity. Lay's Salt & Vinegar Acidity: 4 Ingredients of Interest: corn maltodextrin, natural flavors, malic acid Tasting Notes: Like a New England fall, these chips are sweet, mild, fleeting. They use malic acid (found in apples) to boost acidity. These chips feel diplomatic: they won't offend anyone outright, but they're unlikely to develop a passionate fanbase.

Wise Kettle Cooked Salt & Vinegar Acidity: 3 Ingredients of Interest: maltodextrin, sugar, rice flour, citric acid, corn starch, malic acid Tasting Notes: This is a very different beast than Wise's traditional salt and vinegar offering. They swapped in maltodextrin-powdered vinegar for the sodium diacetate and somewhere in the translation lost the sharp bite. Notably sweet. Arguably a bit confused. 365 Salt & Vinegar Acidity: 2.5 Ingredients of Interest: fructose, vinegar solids, maltodextrin, malic acid, mustard seeds, citric acid, apple cider vinegar solids, malted barley vinegar Tasting Notes: Their rather lengthy ingredient list belies a tame vinegar profile. I don't taste mustard seeds or malted barley vinegar, per se, but there is a fair amount going on in the background. If background flavor is what gets you up in the morning, have I got the chip for you!

Tyrrell's Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar Acidity: 2 Ingredients of Interest: potato maltodextrin, potato starch, dried cider vinegar, dried spirit vinegar, sugar, dried malt vinegar, apple powder Tasting Notes: These are really unique chips. They taste intensely of potato, but are incredibly mild in the acid department, odd considering the three-pronged vinegar attack: dried cider vinegar, dried spirit vinegar, and dried malt vinegar. They list potato maltodextrin which is pretty cool since most of the maltodextrin that we experience comes from corn. This is potato on potato action! Laurel Hill Sea Salt & Vinegar Acidity: 1 Ingredients of Interest: apple cider vinegar, maltodextrin, fructose Tasting Notes: This is the salt and vinegar chip for the chip eater that doesn't like vinegar at all, but is pretty into sweet, salty, oddly creamy snacks. Look I know I said salt and vinegar chip preference was personal and should stay that way, but screw it: these things are horrible.

12 Reasons to Start Using Apple Cider Vinegar | Bembu RSS 12 Reasons to Start Using Apple Cider Vinegar Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is getting more and more attention as its many benefits become known. It may take a bit to get used to the strong smell and taste, but once you’ve made it regular part of your routine it’s not so bad. It provides some great benefits to your digestive system and other parts of your body, that it’s good to keep it handy and use it as directed as part of a weight loss plan, or as part of your daily quest at good health and overall wellness. 1. Burns Fat Perhaps the best reason is that apple cider vinegar can help you lose weight be helping to burn fat that’s stored. It even targets the fat in your midsection, which is a trouble spot for many of us. It’s also been noted for being able to make you feel full for longer periods of time, helping you make it to your next meal and avoid eating when you’re not truly hungry.

The iron content in ACV helps get your metabolism going, so if you’ve noticed you run an iron deficiency, or that you have a sluggish metabolism, you may want to give it a try and see it it helps turn things around. 2. Good for the Digestive System Apple cider vinegar helps to rev up your digestive juices, so you can more easily digest your meals. It has been attributed to lower instances of indigestion, and To get the most from this benefit try drinking a glass of water mixed with ACV 30 minutes before a meal. You’ll notice that it not only helps you get to mealtime more easily, but when mealtime does arrive you’ll be hungry for it and then digest it more easily. It does this by giving your gut what it needs in the form of enzymes that specifically help to break down food. It also contains acids that the body can use to help break up foods and absorb the nutrients from them. 3. Can Be Used as a Mouthwash If you’re tired of the burn that comes with some popular mouthwash brands on the market, you might want to give apple cider vinegar a try as a more natural alternative.

You’ll want to mix it with water and not swish it in your mouth at full strength, as it is rather acidic. What it does is naturally kill the bacteria on your tongue and inside your mouth that causes bad breath. It’s also able to break down plaque, giving it the same kind of properties as the high-priced mouthwashes you’ll find in stores. 4. Possible Wart Treatment If you have a wart you’ve been wanting to get rid of, you can try using ACV in order to treat it. It’s an easy enough process to use apple cider vinegar, and you may find that it’s a reliable and cost-effective way to go instead of having it professionally removed or using an over-the-counter wart removal product. You simply wash and dry the affected area, douse a cotton swab in ACV, apply to the wart and cover with a bandage to keep it in place. Let it work its magic while you sleep, and attend to it again in the morning. Repeat the process until it’s completely healed. 5. Balances Blood Sugar Apple cider vinegar can help you keep your blood sugar levels in check.

Many of the claims made by proponents of ACV are not scientifically founded, but rather rely on anecdotal evidence to back them up. But this benefit is one that has a strong backing from the medical community, and has been shown to help diabetics manage their condition. It does so by helping to reduce the amount of glucose in the body. 6. Can Be Used to Treat a Sunburn Even though apple cider vinegar has a sour and acidic taste to it, it’s actually able to soothe a sunburn when applied topically. You can actually make a bath with ACV in it, which will help you treat all of your sunburned areas at once. Use cool water if you go this route. You can also provide an easier way to apply an ACV solution to your body by using a spray bottle. This way you don’t actually have to touch the sunburn, and can experience a cooling mist hitting your skin. The apple cider vinegar will stay on your skin after the water evaporates. 7. Helps the Sinuses Apple cider vinegar has been shown to help treat a sinus infection, and if you use it at the first sign of sinus trouble, you may be able to avoid it altogether.

The method to use this as sinus relief is to add it to your humidifier so you can breathe it in, or add hot water to it so that you can breathe in the steam. The goal is breathing it in through your nose, so if it’s already stuffed up you might be too late to help matters. It’s always recommended to check in with your doctor if your sinuses are creating a bigger problem for you. 8. Helps When You’re Tired Taking apple cider vinegar can help boost your energy levels , and help when you’re starting to feel fatigued, or even exhausted after a workout. The reason why it helps with your energy levels can be attributed to its effect on your blood sugar, as well as the way it can boost your immune system. Drinking a shot of ACV as a pick-me-up may work for you, and would be a more healthy tactic than reaching for the afternoon cup of coffee or an energy drink. 9. Can Make Your Teeth Whiter You can use ACV to whiten your teeth, but you’ll want to make sure to rinse really well after using it, as the acidic nature of apple cider vinegar can be counterproductive if left on too long.

It’s most effective at treating stains on your teeth, so if you have an overall yellowing of your teeth this may not be the best way to go. You can use it directly just as if you were brushing your teeth with it. When you rinse, be sure to do so until as much of the acidic taste has left your mouth as possible. 10. Can Be Used as an Acne Treatment You can use apple cider vinegar as part of a comprehensive program to treat acne naturally . The neat feature of ACV in relation to acne is that it can be used both internally and topically to help the situation. It helps to bring balance to the pH of your skin, and you can use it on your face and other areas of your body, making it great for those that suffer from acne on their back and other parts. You can also drink it and see if you notice an improvement, but using it as a sort of toner to help your skin directly seems to produce better results. 11. Helps Reduce Heartburn Apple cider vinegar helps to prevent indigestion, and helps your digestive system break down your food. Whether or not it helps with heartburn will vary from person to person.

If your digestive system is overactive and produces too much digestive acid, ACV will only serve to exacerbate the problem. But if your heartburn is being caused by other factors, it may be just what you need. There isn’t much backing these claims as far as scientific studies go, but it’s one of those instances where the number of positive peer reviews makes it a method worth trying. 12. Relieves Sore Muscles This involves swabbing the area with ACV instead of ingesting it. You can also make the process easier and even more relaxing by adding it to your bath. It’s the acid in apple cider vinegar that gets the credit for the relief. It helps to relax both the skin and the muscles so you end up feeling better after soaking for only a few minutes. Apple Cider Vinegar FAQ How is apple cider vinegar different from other vinegars? The main thing that separates apple cider vinegar from others like white vinegar, wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or malt vinegar, is that it’s made with apples, whereas the others are made using other ingredients. This is what gives ACV its distinct taste, and also why it provides health benefits that you can’t get from regular vinegars.

It’s not the same kind of vinegar that you’ll find on store shelves for use in cooking, and you won’t get the health benefits listed above by using ordinary vinegar. Will apple cider vinegar lower triglycerides? Studies on rats has shown that ACV can lower triglycerides, but at the same time it was shown to raise levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body, and lower levels of good cholesterol. That means it is not the best way to try to get your triglyceride levels to a healthy place. Most health experts recommend more exercise and dietary adjustments as the most effective way to go. Will apple cider vinegar make you break out? Drinking apple cider vinegar shouldn’t lead to a break out, and in fact it’s been shown to be a way to treat your acne topically. There is anecdotal evidence that suggest drinking ACV helps to clear up the skin and results in fewer blemishes, but these findings are not backed by clinical studies. There are also reports that when you start drinking ACV you may notice more breakouts before things calm down and eventually improve. Will apple cider vinegar remove a mole? Apple cider vinegar works pretty well on warts, but how about moles?

There are instructions online for how to remove a mole with ACV, and there are even pictures provided to show how the process goes. Be sure to have any mole you plan on removing checked by a doctor first to make sure it’s just a mole and not something more serious. Also consider using something like Dermatend for potentially better results. Is apple cider vinegar acidic or alkaline? Even though you might think that ACV is acidic because of the acetic acid it contains, it’s not about what a food is made up of, but how the body responds to it and processes it once it’s consumed. As it turns out, it’s alkaline-forming once ingested, and acts the same as other alkaline foods like asparagus, broccoli, and kale. If you are creating an alkaline diet for yourself be sure to know which foods react in an acidic or alkaline way. Is apple cider vinegar a diuretic? Apple cider vinegar has been described as a gentle diuretic, and has been used as a treatment for urinary tract infections because of the way it helps the kidneys and bladder.

There are other natural diuretics that also do a great job if you’re trying to remove excess water and sodium, like celery, ginger, and cabbage. These foods either contain plenty of water, or encourage urination to help flush the body. Is apple cider vinegar a probiotic? Even though it isn’t classified as a probiotic, ACV helps with the digestion in a similar fashion as probiotics. The pectin it contains helps the body break down foods, and it is often recommended to drink water mixed with apple cider vinegar 30 minutes to an hour before a meal to improve digestion. Probiotics get their name because of the bacteria they contain. ACV contains enzymes but because of its acidic nature does not have bacteria. Does apple cider vinegar work on toenail fungus? There are those that say you can use ACV to help treat toenail fungus naturally, and all that is required is to apply undiluted apple cider vinegar directly to the affected area three times each day. The trick is that you have to remain diligent because if you don’t eradicate it fully it will end up coming back again, and you’ll have to restart the treatment process from the beginning. Will apple cider vinegar help with allergies?

ACV has been shown to help with allergies by reducing the amount of mucous produced by the body, thus freeing up sinuses to function properly. While it can’t prevent you from having an allergic reaction to the things you’re allergic to, it may be helpful in reducing the side effects they cause to your body. Does apple cider vinegar spoil? Because it contains so much acid ACV can last a long time, and you typically won’t have to worry about it spoiling as long as you use it consistently. You’ll still find an expiration date on the bottle of the best brands on the market, but this is something that you don’t have to pay much attention to, as it doesn’t lose its beneficial qualities, even well after it says it’s expired. Does apple cider vinegar prevent cancer? The jury is still out as to what sort of effect ACV has on cancer prevention. Currently it appears to slow or even stop some cancers, while at the same time leading to an increase in others. At this point it can’t be verified to be an item you’d want to use to prevent cancer. especially when so many other have been proven time and time again to help the cause, such as tomatoes and broccoli. Can apple cider vinegar unclog arteries?

It’s a source of potassium, which can help thin the blood, and it’s been noted for its ability to break down fats in the body and can help with your cholesterol levels. The combination of all of these features make it worthwhile to add ACV to your daily routine if you are looking to improve the health of your arteries. Can apple cider vinegar lighten scars? Apple cider vinegar has been shown to be able to lighten the redness of a scar. Do do this you wouldn’t want to use full-strength ACV, as that can irritate the skin and even burn it if left on for long periods of time. Instead, mix equal parts water with ACV and dab onto the scar in question. Do this once daily for as long as it takes to see improvement. What can cause homemade wine to have a slight "vinegar" taste? - WineMaker Magazine What can cause homemade wine to have a slight "vinegar" taste? Author: WineMaker Staff Issue: Spring 2000 Dear Wine Wizard, I own a small store in Yellowknife, Northwest Terri-tories. I have two customers with the same problem and I have no solution. Both batches were made with a four-week wine kit.

The first customer lives in a small northern community and has sent me a bottle of his wine, a Merlot. It is quite cloudy as though it didn't settle. This man has bottled all of his wine and all the bottles are the same. His wine has a slight vinegar taste. I am willing to reclean this bottle if you think it would help. The second customer lives in town. He claims his wine is crystal clear, but has not yet brought me a bottle. He also says it has a slight vinegar taste. He does not usually bottle his wine, rather leaves it in the carboy and racks it into carafes as needed. He claims the lid is on tight and the airlock is in place. The only information I can find on this "vinegar" problem claims it's a result of improperly cleaned equipment. Both men have been making wine for a long time, and both claim to be extremely careful in this area. They don't believe this could be the problem. Is there a solution? And what is causing this? Shirley Stapleton E-Zee Brew Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Wine Wizard replies: Seems like an attack of your friend and mine, the acetic acid bacteria.

These bacteria live in wineries, on winery equipment and in the air. In fact, you're probably breathing some in right now. Unfortunately, when these little guys come in contact with wine and oxygen, they tend to produce acetic acid, the stuff that makes vinegar smell and taste, so, well, vinegary. Even though your customers sound like fine winemaking folk, even the best of us come up against acetobacter once in a while. As you pointed out, unclean equipment can be a contributing factor to this vinegar smell. This seems to be only part of the issue, though. Like I said above, acetic acid bacteria are everywhere. It's very difficult for winemakers to totally eradicate them from the winemaking environment. All we can do is find ways to live with them. Acetic acid bacteria need the following things to survive: oxygen, a hospitable environment and a food source. By controlling these factors we can reduce the chances that acetic acid bacteria will find, infect, survive in, breed in and make acetic acid in our wines. We can do this by the following: Keep equipment scrupulously clean at all times.

Keep containers as full as possible, as acetic acid bacteria thrive in half-empty containers that are, by definition, half full of air. If there must be headspace in a barrel or carboy, blanket the surface of the liquid with carbon dioxide or nitrogen gas, if available. Keep pHs low (under 3.7) so that microbes will not be able to survive as well in your wines. Use sulfur dioxide as an antimicrobial agent, keeping free SO2s between 20 to 35 ppm (mg/L). Store your wines in a cool, dry area. The lower temperatures and dry air will discourage not only acetic acid bacteria but molds and fungi as well. Watch wines that have low alcohol levels (below 10 percent). Alcohol acts as an antimicrobial agent to some extent, and wines with low alcohol levels are especially susceptible to attack by bacteria. Finished wine, or wine that has just finished fermentation, is the most vulnerable to acetobacter attack since the protective layer of carbon dioxide produced during fermentation is no longer present. Keep these vulnerable wines especially clean and topped up. Acetobacter are often transmitted to wines by insects like fruit flies.

Do your best to clean up all spilled juice, must, skins and wine before you give fruit flies - and acetic acid bacteria - a chance to thrive in your winery. Immediately clean up spills wherever they occur, and especially keep tops of barrels, carboys and fermenters clean and free of residue. Those tips should help both of your customers. Your first customer, who keeps his wine in filled bottles but is having problems with haze, needs to check his pHs and make sure they're not over 3.6 to 3.7. High pH wines lend themselves readily to both bacterial attack and haze formation. In fact, haze and instabilities are often the result of bacterial attack. Your second customer should store his wine in a more air-tight way. Even though airlocks and lids serve their purposes, air laden with oxygen and bacteria enters the carboy every time the fermentation lock is taken off to siphon out a carafe. I strongly suggest he bottle his wine or that he rack into smaller, one-gallon (3.8 L) jugs as the level in his carboy gets lower. Do you have a burning question for the mighty Wine Wizard?

If so, send it to: The Wine Wizard, in care of WineMaker, 5053 Main Street, Suite A, Manchester Center, VT 05255. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Get a free trial issue of Brew Your Own Free Trial Issue. Subscribe Today! Send me a FREE TRIAL print issue of Winemaker Magazine and start my risk-free print subscription. If I like it, I'll pay just $26.99 for 5 more issues (6 in all) and save 25% off the annual newsstand rate. If I'm not completely satisfied with the trial issue, I'll just write "cancel" on the invoice and return it. I'll owe nothing and the trial issue is mine to keep. Publisher's Guarantee: If you aren't completely satisfied with Winemaker Magazine at any time, for any reason, we'll issue a complete refund of your remaining issues. 6 issues - $26.99 Add $3.00/year for Canadian postage Add $20.00/year for foreign postage Risk-Free. Just fill out the form and click submit.

First Name Types of Vinegar - Ultimate Guide to Vinegar | HowStuffWorks Ultimate Guide to Vinegar Coconut vinegar is popular in Southeast Asian cooking, and adds a yeasty flavor. ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. You might be surprised to learn that there are dozens of types of vinegar. The most common vinegars found in American kitchens are white distilled and apple cider, but the more adventurous may also use red wine vinegar; white wine vinegar; rice vinegar; or gourmet varieties, such as 25-year-old balsamic vinegar or rich black fig vinegar. Vinegar can be made from just about any food that contains natural sugars. Yeast ferments these sugars into alcohol, and certain types of bacteria convert that alcohol a second time into vinegar. A weak acetic acid remains after this second fermentation; the acid has flavors reminiscent of the original fermented food, such as apples or grapes. Acetic acid is what gives vinegar its distinct tart taste. Up Next What's vanishing caloric density? Pure acetic acid can be made in a laboratory; when diluted with water, it is sometimes sold as white vinegar.

However, acetic acids created in labs lack the subtle flavors found in true vinegars, and synthesized versions don't hold a candle to vinegars fermented naturally from summer's sugar-laden fruits or other foods. Vinegars can be made from many different foods that add their own tastes to the final products, but additional ingredients, such as herbs, spices, or fruits, can be added for further flavor enhancement. Vinegar Varieties Vinegar is great for a healthy, light style of cooking. The tangy taste often reduces the need for salt, especially in soups and bean dishes. It can also cut the fat in a recipe because it balances flavors without requiring the addition of as much cream, butter, or oil. Vinegar flavors range from mild to bold, so you're sure to find one with the taste you want. A brief look at some of the various vinegars available may help you choose a new one for your culinary escapades. White Vinegar This clear variety is the most common type of vinegar in American households. It is made either from grain-based ethanol or laboratory-produced acetic acid and then diluted with water.

Its flavor is a bit too harsh for most cooking uses, but it is good for pickling and performing many cleaning jobs around the house. Apple Cider Vinegar Apple cider vinegar is the second-most-common type of vinegar in the United States. This light-tan vinegar made from apple cider adds a tart and subtle fruity flavor to your cooking. Apple cider vinegar is best for salads, dressings, marinades, condiments, and most general vinegar needs. Wine Vinegar This flavorful type of vinegar is made from a blend of either red wines or white wines and is common in Europe, especially Germany. Creative cooks often infuse wine vinegars with extra flavor by tucking in a few sprigs of well-washed fresh herbs, dried herbs, or fresh berries. Red wine vinegar is often flavored with natural raspberry flavoring, if not with the fruit itself. The quality of the original wine determines how good the vinegar is. Better wine vinegars are made from good wines and are aged for a couple of years or more in wooden casks. The result is a fuller, more complex, and mellow flavor. You might find sherry vinegar on the shelf next to the wine vinegars.

This variety is made from sherry wine, and usually is imported from Spain. Champagne vinegar (yes, made from the bubbly stuff) is a specialty vinegar and is quite expensive. Wine vinegar excels at bringing out the sweetness of fruit, melon, and berries and adds a flavorful punch to fresh salsa. Balsamic Vinegar There are two types of this popular and flavorful vinegar, traditional and commercial. A quasigovernmental body in Modena, Italy (balsamic vinegar's birthplace), regulates the production of traditional balsamic vinegar. Traditional balsamic. Traditional balsamic vinegars are artisanal foods, similar to great wines, with long histories and well-developed customs for their production. An excellent balsamic vinegar can be made only by an experienced crafter who has spent many years tending the vinegar, patiently watching and learning. The luscious white and sugary trebbiano grapes that are grown in the northern region of Italy near Modena form the base of the world's best and only true balsamic vinegars. Customdictates that the grapes be left on the vine for as long as possible to develop their sugar.

The juice (or "must") is pressed out of the grapes and boiled down; then, vinegar production begins. Traditional balsamic vinegar is aged for a number of years -- typically 6 and as many as 25. Aging takes place in a succession of casks made from a variety of woods, such as chestnut, mulberry, oak, juniper, and cherry. Each producer has its own formula for the order in which the vinegar is moved to the different casks. Thus, the flavors are complex, rich, sweet, and subtly woody. Vinegar made in this way carries a seal from the Consortium of Producers of the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. Because of the arduous production process, only a limited amount of traditional balsamic vinegar makes it to market each year, and what is available is expensive. Leaf ratings. You might see that some traditional balsamic vinegars have leaves on their labels. This is a rating system that ranks quality on a one- to four-leaf scale, with four leaves being the best. You can use the leaf ranking as a guide for how to use the vinegar.

For instance, one-leaf balsamic vinegar would be appropriate for salad dressing, while four-leaf vinegar would be best used a few drops at a time to season a dish right before serving. The Assaggiatori Italiani Balsamico (Italian Balsamic Tasters' Association) established this grading system, but not all producers use it. Commercial balsamic. What you're more likely to find in most American grocery stores is the commercial type of balsamic vinegar. Some is made in Modena, but not by traditional methods. In fact, some balsamic vinegar isn't even made in Italy. Commercial balsamic vinegar does not carry the Consortium of Producers of the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena seal because it is not produced in accordance with the Consortium's strict regulations. The production of commercial balsamic vinegar carries no geographical restrictions or rules for length or method of aging. There are no requirements for the types of wood used in the aging casks. It may be aged for six months in stainless steel vats, then for two years or more in wood. Thus, commercial balsamic vinegar is much more affordable and available than the true, artisanal variety.

Whether you're lucky enough to get your hands on the traditional variety or you're using commercial-grade balsamic, the taste of this fine vinegar is like no other. Its sweet and sour notes are in perfect proportion. Balsamic's flavor is so intricate that it brings out the best in salty foods such as goat cheese, astringent foods such as spinach, and sweet foods such as strawberries. Rice Vinegar Clear or very pale yellow, rice vinegar originated in Japan, where it is essential to sushi preparation. Rice vinegar is made from the sugars found in rice, and the aged, filtered final product has a mild, clean, and delicate flavor that is an excellent complement to ginger or cloves, sometimes with the addition of sugar. Rice vinegar also comes in red and black varieties, which are less common in the United States but very popular in China. Both are stronger than the clear (often called white) or pale yellow types. Red rice vinegar's flavor is a combination of sweet and tart. Black rice vinegar is common in southern Chinese cooking and has a strong, almost smoky flavor. Rice vinegar is popular in Asian cooking and is great sprinkled on salads and stir-fry dishes.

Its gentle flavor is perfect for fruits and tender vegetables, too. Many cooks choose white rice vinegar for their recipes because it does not change the color of the food to which it is added. Red rice vinegar is good for soups and noodle dishes, and black rice vinegar works as a dipping sauce and in braised dishes. Malt Vinegar This dark-brown vinegar, a favorite in Britain, is reminiscent of deep-brown ale. Malt vinegar production begins with the germination, or sprouting, of barley kernels. Germination enables enzymes to break down starch. Sugar is formed, and the resulting product is brewed into an alcohol-containing malt beverage or ale. After bacteria convert the ale to vinegar, the vinegar is aged. As its name implies, malt vinegar has a distinctive malt flavor. A cheaper and less flavorful version of malt vinegar consists merely of acetic acid diluted to between 4 percent and 8 percent acidity with a little caramel coloring added. Many people prefer malt vinegar for pickling and as an accompaniment to fish and chips. It is also used as the basic type of cooking vinegar in Britain. Cane Vinegar This type of vinegar is produced from the sugar cane and is used mainly in the Philippines.

It is often light yellow and has a flavor similar to rice vinegar. Contrary to what you might think, cane vinegar is not any sweeter than other vinegars. Beer Vinegar Beer vinegar has an appealing light-golden color and, as you might guess, is popular in Germany, Austria, Bavaria, and the Netherlands. It is made from beer, and its flavor depends on the brew from which it was made. It has a sharp, malty taste. Coconut Vinegar If you can't get your Asian recipes to taste "just right," it might be because you don't have coconut vinegar -- a white vinegar with a sharp, acidic, slightly yeasty taste. This staple of Southeast Asian cooking is made from the sap of the coconut palm and is especially important to Thai and Indian dishes. Raisin Vinegar This slightly cloudy brown vinegar is traditionally produced in Turkey and used in Middle Eastern cuisines. Try infusing it with a little cinnamon to bolster its mild flavor. Salad dressings made with raisin vinegar will add an unconventional taste to your greens. Now that you've got the idea of the wide variety of vinegar flavors available, perhaps you are inspired to create your own.

Go to the next page to find out how to make your own vinegar. Sourdough Home - All About Sour Join Our Mailing Lists Our Newsletter Did you know Mike sends out a newsletter (almost) every week? It's filled with news about bread or whatever Mike is excited about this time. It's " Mike's (more or less) Weekly Baking Tips "! All About Sour Far too many of the emails I get start out something like, "Why do you call it sourdough? After all, it isn't sour!" Or perhaps, "What am I doing wrong? I want my bread to be SOUR!" To no small extent, the term "sourdough" might be to blame. I think the American word sourdough may be derived from the German "Sauerteig", which literally means "sour dough". In German "sauer" can be sour, or can can just mean acidic. Most acids are sour to the taste in sufficient quantity. (Please, don't try this at home unless you are a chemist and know what you're getting into.

If you have to try this, use a little bit of household vinegar.) And indeed, a healthy starter is acidic, and may even be sour in the taste sense. But that doesn't always translate to our breads. Let's start with the idea that most breads aren't supposed to be all that sour. Sour gets in the way of many other bread tastes. The 100% whole wheat bread recipe I stole from Laurel Robertson is very different as a sourdough bread than as a yeasted bread. The taste of the wheat is greatly subdued, being overpowered by sour. Some people would greatly prefer the yeasted bread. (If you want to try the original recipe, which is marvelous, buy or borrow her book, "The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book". I think trying my version and hers will help you understand the differences between extreme sourdough and yeasted breads. In general, many beginners at sourdough have the preconceived notion that sourdough bread should be very sour. Like the classic San Francisco Sourdough Bread, or like the 100% whole wheat bread mentioned above. However, most sourdough breads aren't that sour, and most breads shouldn't be that sour.

The French find San Francisco Sourdough Bread to be overwhelming, perhaps even barbaric (is it just me, or do the French enjoy calling Americans barbarians?). One consequence of the common belief that sourdough should be sour is that commercial sourdough is too sour. Sadly, most commercial sourdoughs aren't actually sourdough breads. They are yeasted breads that have had acetic acid, malic acid, and/or fumaric acid added to them. This sourpatch kid version of fake sourdough bread will set your teeth on edge. A natural product has trouble competing with a chemistry lab in the sour taste department. It's a one-note taste that isn't very appealing. Worse, it has soured many people on the idea of sourdough. All too often at the bakery we heard people tell us, "I tried sourdough once, and I don't like it." Taste should be about balance.

Still, as Mark Twain once said, "All things in moderation, especially moderation." He also said, "Too much of anything is bad, except whiskey, where too much is just enough." Which goes to the notion that it's OK for some breads to go way over to the sour side, but they don't ALL have to. Sourdough, in all breads, acts as a preservative, a natural preservative. Many of our customers indignantly wanted to know what sort of preservatives we were using in our breads and not listing on our labels. Sourdough also makes trace nutrients more available to the person eating the bread. Many people who are eating 100% whole grain breads aren't really helping themselves nutritionally because the additional nutrients touted in whole grain breads are bound by phytic acid. Sourdough breaks these bonds, and the nutrients become available. Sourdough also adds a depth of flavor that is interesting and compelling. One of our regular customers told us he didn't like our sourdoughs, but he REALLY liked our cinnamon raisin bread. He should have read the label more closely. The sourdough in that bread was very subtle, but added depth to the bread's taste.

Of course, there is one more aspect to the sour question. As a group, we Americans are as bad as the British - we love sweet things. The Italians have a sickeningly sweet dessert called "Zuppa Inglese" or "English Soup". It's a joke, with the Italians suggesting that the British even want their soups sweet. (Most of the recipes I've seen for this are a triffle, or lady fingers imbibed with pastry cream and liquor, so it's not even soup, unless you consider the pastry cream to be soup-like.) To many Americans, it it isn't sweet, it's sour, and it isn't worth eating. So, to some extent, it's a matter of contrast. Many of the sourdough recipes on this site would be seen by people in other parts of the world as just plain bread. Which is pretty much what is expected, as a lot of bread around the world is made with natural leavens, or sourdough. Still, all this babbling aside, what tends to foster sour, and what tends to inhibit it? Once you know that, you can tailor your breads to suit your taste.

Haulin' ashes If you look at a sack of flour, you'll probably see a line in the nutritional analysis with the word "ash". If you've noticed it and you're not a food scientist, you've probably wondered, "Why are they adding ASH to my flour?" The good news is that ash is not added to your flour. When food scientists analyse food, they burn it to determine its caloric content. What is left over is ash. They weigh it and it is often listed as part of the nutritional analysis. In the baker's view, ash represents the mineral content of the flour. In general, more minerals yield more sour taste. Using flours with more ash, or mineral, content, will yield more sour taste. If you can't get enough ash, adding a bit of whole wheat flour to your recipe, which is what is done with the 20% Bran Flour, will boost the sour of a bread. Conversely, using a lower ash flour will tend to produce a milder bread. Time's a Risin' Next, there is the fermentation, or rise, time. The longer the dough rises, the more sour it will become.

Of course, it's really easy to say, "let it rise longer". The new baker will be faced with the pressure of a loaf that is fully risen and has to go into the oven NOW, even if it would be better to let it rise longer to get a more sour taste. Or, the new baker will have a loaf that's no where near being ready to bake, even though if it goes any longer it will become too sour for that baker's taste. It all starts with the starter In the past few months, it has become more obvious that how your starter is treated will impact how sour your bread will be. A thicker starter tends to promote activity in the bacteria that leads to sour. My suggestions in these pages are to maintain a 100% hydration starter (equal parts flour and water by weight) and to feed it twice a day. If you were to take the starter and keeop it at 50% hydration (twice as much flour as water by weight, or about 1 cup flour to 1/4 cup water) and feed it once a day, your starter will become more sour. And the bread made with it will also become more sour.

We'll talk about this more when I put the Dr. Sugihara San Francisco Sourdough Bread recipe on line in the San Francisco Sourdough recipe testing. What's a poor baker to do? You can control your rise time in a number of ways. Temperature is one way. Putting the dough into a cooler environment can stretch the rise time out to days. Many San Francisco bakeries let the bread rise for 24 to 36 hours at temperatures in the 55 to 65F degree range (12 to 18C). Using less starter is another way to extend the rise time. Punching down the dough an additional time is yet another way. I don't suggest letting dough rise until it collapses. This seems to damage the structure of the dough irreparably. Finally, a denser dough will rise more slowly than a thinner dough. Most of the breads I had in San Francisco were pretty dense, with an open crumb and large holes. Which is an odd combination. You want SOUR? I'll give you sour! Sooner or later, most beginning bakers decide that if they start with a sour starter, they'll have a sour bread.

So, they let the starter go far too long between feedings and use a half-dead starter to try to raise their bread. This can sometime give a bread a real kick in the sour, but at the cost of rise. A long slow rise with a healthy starter is a better approach. A variation on this is suggested by Scott and Wing in "The Bread Builders." I haven't had time to try this, but the idea is to use half old-soured starter and half fresh lively starter. If someone tries it, please report back to me. Of course, most of these comments can be reversed to get a less sour bread. Use more fresh starter and you get a faster rise and a milder taste. Form the loaf as soon as the dough is kneaded and let it rise only once and you'll have a milder bread. Use a shorter rise, and you get a milder taste. Use a lower ash content flour and you get a milder taste. Still, at the end of the day, bread is about more than sour. It has to work with whatever you're eating it with.

If it's eaten alone, it has to stand on its own, and that usually means a balanced taste, or at least a bread that has more going for it than the one trick pony approach of super-sour bread that so many sourdough beginners are striving for. If our web page has helped you in your explorations of baking and sourdough, and you feel moved to contribute to supporting our efforts, you may...

Question: From what does vinegar derive its sour taste ?
Answer: Acetic acid