Vinegar is like the red-headed (or maybe sour tasting) stepchild compared to wine and beer, its more illustrious cousins. Vinegar, however, has its own interesting history with its share of fascinating anecdotes and stories. While many stories are descriptive touching on the history of science, business, and even alchemy, others are interesting in their own right and reveal some of … Read More
Does vinegar spoil and how?
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
The History of Vinegar: Vinegar making in Orléans, France
Vinaigrerie (vinegar factory) in 19th century Orléans For those familiar with vinegar making, the oldest standard method of making vinegar is called the Orléans method or “slow process”. This is the romantic vision of vinegar making where wine or cider is poured into wooden barrels, mixed with mother of vinegar, and allowed to “breathe” through a cloth covered hole on … Read More
Making Vinegar at Home: The Essential Guide Part I (The Basics)
So, you like vinegar. Not just the store white distilled brand but many types. Or maybe you just love apple cider vinegar and hate the bland tasting store brand. Home made vinegar is a lot like garden grown vegetables: yours always tastes better. There are many reasons that homemade vinegars can be great but a big one is you don’t … Read More
Mama Mia! What is mother of vinegar?
The mother of vinegar is probably the most emblematic and representative feature of traditionally made vinegar. Known for centuries as the precursor to wine, or another alcohol, changing to vinegar. It is mentioned in ancient texts both in the West and the East. However, what is the mother really? What does it mean and how does it promote the … Read More
History of Vinegar: Date Vinegar: The oldest recorded vinegar
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 societies, white distilled vinegar is only about 150 years old. So which vinegar has the oldest recorded … Read More
White distilled vinegar – ingredients explained
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 up any misconceptions. First, a bit of history. White distilled … Read More
What is vinegar ??
Vinegar: something that everyone knows, uses, and maybe even loves but also something very few know much about. The word vinegar in English comes from the French Vin Aigre or “sour wine”. In formal terms, vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid. Acetic acid is a relatively weak acid as far as they go, though it can still be … Read More
Welcome from the Eternal Condiment!
Welcome to our new blog! My name is Reginald Smith, president of Supreme Vinegar. We manufacture a variety of fruit vinegars as well as mother of vinegar for those who want to make their own vinegars. Why the Eternal Condiment? Vinegar is one of the earliest condiments known to man. It probably vies with honey as the first, since it … Read More