China’s Vinegar Culture: Making Chinese Vinegar

Reginald SmithChinese Vinegars, Making Vinegar, Regional Vinegars10 Comments

See part I on the history of Chinese vinegars here See part III on the “Four Famous Vinegars” of China here Read the full book on the history of vinegar, Vinegar, The Eternal Condiment available on Amazon! Like all vinegars, the basic path to vinegar is the fermentation of an alcoholic substance by vinegar bacteria. However, instead of using waste … Read More

China’s Vinegar Culture: A History of Vinegar in Ancient China

Reginald SmithChinese Vinegars, Regional Vinegars, Vinegar History1 Comment

Read the full book on the history of vinegar, Vinegar, The Eternal Condiment available on Amazon! Like most things in China, vinegar has a long recorded history. The character for vinegar, 醋 or cù (pronounced ‘sooh’), is ubiquitous connoting both the condiment as well as a metaphor for a bitter life condition. Chinese civilization first arose primarily along the Yellow … Read More

Balsamic Vinegar’s Manufacturing Process

Reginald SmithAll About Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Regional Vinegars10 Comments

See part I on the history of balsamic and part II on the types of balsamic   Balsamic vinegar’s manufacturing process depends heavily on the type of balsamic as mentioned in the previous post. While almost all varieties use wine vinegar, even the presence of grape must is not a given with generic balsamic vinegar or balsamic condiments. We will … Read More

A History of Balsamic Vinegar

Reginald SmithAll About Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Vinegar History5 Comments

Read the full book on the history of vinegar, Vinegar, The Eternal Condiment available on Amazon! Balsamic vinegar’s origins are obscure. Some assert they go back to the Roman Empire with fermentation of the grape must sapa. Others believe that, like butter, it may have existed but its true development came during the Middle Ages. The term ‘balsamic’ itself comes … Read More

Apple Cider Vinegar / Pineapple Vinegar from Cores & Rinds: Some Notes

Reginald SmithApple Cider Vinegar, Making Vinegar, Pineapple Vinegar46 Comments

  Vinegar fermentation is becoming more of the rage everyday. Often overshadowed by other fermentations, vinegar is coming to its own as a new generation of homemakers and hobbyists eagerly make their own. This is great and  I suggest everyone try it at least once. There are a couple of techniques that are common and popular I want to give … Read More

Malt Vinegar vs. Beer Vinegar: Understanding and Making Both

Reginald SmithAll About Vinegar, Beer Vinegar, Making Vinegar, Malt Vinegar21 Comments

See more information on making malt vinegar here Also here are some detailed recipes for homemade malt vinegar Malt vinegar, condiment of the gods–at least with fish and chips. This revered condiment is enjoyed worldwide but primarily in the English speaking world: the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, etc.. Its dark color and characteristic aroma and taste make it … Read More

Does vinegar spoil and how?

Reginald SmithHealth & Wellness, Making Vinegar, Recipes & Tips, Uncategorized, White Distilled/Spirit Vinegar28 Comments

  In Google, type in “does vinegar spoil?” and a variety of results pop up. While responses vary in length and detail, the general consensus is “no”. This consensus is generally accurate, with a few caveats, that I will explain below. The source of most information about vinegar’s shelf-life comes from a statement on the website of the national association … Read More

History of Vinegar: Date Vinegar: The oldest recorded vinegar

Reginald SmithAll About Vinegar, Regional Vinegars, Vinegar History, Vinegars6 Comments

  Read the full book on the history of vinegar, Vinegar, The Eternal Condiment available on Amazon! When we think of vinegar in the US, we typically think primarily of white, wine, or apple cider vinegar. However, in historical context, only wine vinegar has a known history of thousands of years. While cider is probably old too, primarily in Celtic … Read More

White distilled vinegar – ingredients explained

Reginald SmithAll About Vinegar, Vinegar History, Vinegars, White Distilled/Spirit Vinegar43 Comments

                    Note: see our new post on making white distilled vinegar here What is white distilled vinegar?? There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about what white distilled vinegar is, what it means to have “organic” white distilled vinegar, etc. Here I will try to explain in detail and clear … Read More