There are very many uses of vinegar in food. It is one of the most important in the kitchen. You can use it in almost any dish that you plan on preparing. Apart from food, vinegar can be used in hundreds of different ways. For example, as a mouthwash or for whitening teeth. You can also use it at home as a disinfectant or stain removal.
Almost every house uses vinegar in a different way. In fact, you may use it sometimes without even knowing. That is how common this multipurpose ingredient has become. The word vinegar hails from the French language. “Vin” and “egar” literally means sour and wine when you translate them into English.
Scientifically vinegar is biologically fermented Acetic acid. You can obtain this acid by fermenting alcohol using bacterial. Furthermore, you can add some flavor into it by adding other chemicals such as esters. Vinegar contains other vitamins and minerals that are vital for our bodies apart from acetic acid. Today we will look at the uses of vinegar in food only.
Daily uses of vinegar in a food
1. Marinade preparation
One of the most popular uses of vinegar in food is in making the marinade. It is a liquid for soaking food such as the meats before cooking them. The marinade makes the food tenderer and also adds flavor. It achieves all that by starting the breakdown of food before cooking. You can also refer to marinade as a mixture of herbs, spices, oils, and many other ingredients. So if you want to prepare a nice and sweat stake, you can use marinade together with other ingredients like pepper, soy sauce, and wine.
2. Washing fruits and vegetables
Vinegar is used in the kitchen to wash fruits and vegetables. This is because they may be having some residues of pesticides stuck on them. If you consume these chemicals then they may have negative impacts on your health. Removing the pesticides from the skin of your fruits and vegetables is easier using vinegar. Using water alone to do this task can be very challenging.
3. in cakes, cookies, and candy
Vinegar is a common ingredient for baking cakes, cookies, and candy. It is often used to ignite a chemical reaction together with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide. It also gives the butter a lift during the baking process. For example in an eggless chocolate cake, you can easily taste the vinegar reaction. Apple cedar and white vinegar are the types that are commonly used for this purpose.
4. Desserts
With apple cedar vinegar, you can make very delicious desserts. For example, apple cedar cream pie. If you want something simple, pair it with some cheese and figs. It adds a unique taste to your dessert making it enjoyable.
5. To disinfect cutting edges
Edges that handle food such as knives and other sharp utensils are disinfected using vinegar. This is made possible by the antibacterial properties that vinegar holds. You can do it yourself using a concentrated vinegar solution. It kills all harmful bacteria such as salmonella and staphylococcus.
6. Salad dressing
One of the most popular salad dressing is the vinaigrette which is made from vinegar. You can use almost all types for this purpose depending on your personal preferences. This is because they blend indifferently. For example, apple cedar and rice vinegar are light choices. Sherry and balsamic types are bolder choices lending a tart flavor to the mix.
7. White wine sauce
The light and delicate white wine sauce are made of vinegar. To make a creamy sauce you will need a thin white sauce. White wine vinegar is acidic but it makes a perfect match to the white wine especially when making fish dishes.
8. Boiling eggs better
Vinegar is used for boiling eggs. This is because it contains an acid that is found in it that can help prevent cracking. Most people consider boiling eggs as an easy task but it can turn to be very complex. Some people will experience cracks or flat ends on their eggs. However, vinegar can solve all these problems easily. You need to use any basic vinegar that you can get, for example, white or apple cedar. They are good at forming a chemical reaction hence prevents them to crack during cooking. It can also be used to prevent separation when poaching eggs.
9. Making apple cider vinegar
This one of the most popular uses of vinegar in food. In addition, it has various health benefits such as alleviating cold symptoms and helping hiccups. Other health benefits associated with it are weight issues, high cholesterol, heart problems, and type 2 diabetes. Since it has antibiotic properties, a cup of apple cider may help somebody suffering from diarrhea. Some experts also argue that apple cider vinegar can help soothe intestinal spasms because it contains pectin.
10. Cleaning microwave, sinks, and fridge
Vinegar is important because it is used to clean most of the sensitive places that handle food. It removes some of the toughest stains. If you want to clean your microwave sink or fridge, first prepare a mixture of one cup of vinegar and four cups of water. Further, dip a cloth or a sponge in the mixture. Then use it to wipe all the areas that you want to be cleaned. It even works better than baking soda. For the dusty areas of the fridge or microwave, use undiluted vinegar to clean them. When the sink has clogged, you can pour concentrated vinegar to unclog it.
11. As a food preservative
Most food preservatives consist of vinegar as a major ingredient. It qualifies to be a food preservative because of its acidic nature. Bacteria and enzymes which could have caused food spoilage are killed and deactivated. You can preserve your food for a couple of days somehow. Vinegar comes in almost every major role when it comes to matters concerning food.
12. Pan sauce
You can use your favorite to make a flavorful pan sauce. Making a quick and nice sauce isn’t hard. With your favorite vinegar, you can deglaze the pan that you are making after cooking.
