Vinegar: A Guide to the Many Types and their Use around the Home

INTRODUCTION

The benefits offered by the humble bottle of vinegar remain outstanding – in fact, no other liquid provides the human race with such an array of useful, practical, medicinal and appetizing qualities.

To investigate the world of vinegar fully can mean a wonderful adventure heading to the hills of Modena in Italy for research into balsamics, a segue to Orleans, France to sample wine vinegar, then crossing the seas with pickled cucumbers in a jar to fight scurvy as Christopher Columbus did, before reaching the shores of North America to follow the pilgrims tracking down apple cider vinegar. Once done there, you would set sail to the Pacific Islands to bask under palm trees, watching sap being drawn from the coconut palms to create coconut vinegar.

Your travels would involve a trip to Asia – to China for exotic oriental dishes, to Japan to eat as much sushi as you could, and to Korea to sample its kimchee, the vinegar pickle that accompanies every meal.

Heading to the UK, you could finally put your feet up and tuck into the old favourite of fish and chips with a helping of malt vinegar or non-brewed condiment. While a world trip is not possible for most of us, this book offers you plenty of food for thought about vinegar, examining the many different types available, how each is made and where they can best be used, with recipes included. It traces the history of the condiment – as far as possible, since this universal ingredient seems to have existed always, with no known ‘inventor’ to quote. It will provide you with a wealth of practical tips concerning its versatility as a cleaning, beauty, gardening and medicinal aid as well as many more uses. And if that is not enough, you can always put yourself ‘in a pickle’ by learning the principles and properties of vinegar as a preservative.

Please remember that this book is for reference only. Consult your doctor about any medical condition first. The tips featured are home remedies only and every individual will have a different response to their complaint.

The only question that remains is what vinegar cannot do. If it were not corrosive to metal, we would probably be fuelling our cars with it in an environmentally friendly mixture of energy-releasing bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and vinegar. Meanwhile, there is plenty of scope for educational projects around the home, some of them using that exact same concoction. So enjoy the many, many properties of vinegar in all its forms and uses, and keep that world trip in mind for another day.

Various types of vinegar, created using different grapes and methods of manufacture.

CHAPTER ONE

HISTORY OF VINEGAR

It is not known how vinegar was first discovered or who created it but it is documented in ancient texts from the Sumerians, Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Greeks and the Chinese – and was probably in existence before these eras. The oldest religious texts – in the Old and New Testaments, and the Koran – mention the liquid. The prophet Muhammad noted that vinegar is the best of condiments.

It is well known that exposing alcohol to the air will turn it into vinegar. It is also known that vinegar can be created from the juices of just about any fruit or grain – it can even be created with vegetables that are used to make alcohol. So presumably vinegar wasn’t so much invented by our ancestors as created by mistake.

It is also safe to say that in ancient times such a strong-tasting liquid would not have been discarded, instead a purpose would have been found for it. It is ironic that in days of old, without hospitals or the medical life-saving techniques now available, our ancestors were far more open to trying and tasting all manner of things as a survival strategy.

Today we are so much more cautious, believing that everything we eat may, in some way, be trying to kill us. For the fact that vinegar has lasted to this day, we can thank our esteemed ancestors for their continued pursuit of discovery.

The disinfectant properties of vinegar would probably have been the most likely to have been observed prior to its culinary qualities. Vinegar was primarily used for its ability to purify and lengthen the lifetime of stored foods. It is documented that pickled cucumber seeds arrived in the Tigris valley in Mesopotamia from north India in 2030 BCE. Babylon is reputed to have first used vinegar in 5000 BCE; the disinfectant and cleaning properties, as well as its ability to halt deterioration of food by acting as a preservative, are supposed to have been discovered by the ancient Babylonians. The Sumerians, also in Mesopotamia, may not have understood the science of bacteriology as modern medicine does, but their knowledge has been passed down the generations.

Vinegar has been the key ingredient in the preservation of fruit and vegetables for millennia.

The kind of grapes used affect the taste, colour and consistency of vinegar.

Cleopatra used vinegar in one of the most lavish recipes ever recorded.

Egypt was another prime user of vinegar, as a healing medication, disinfectant and preservative. There is a story that Cleopatra and Mark Anthony had a bet about who could consume the most expensive dish, so she dissolved pearls in vinegar then consumed them.

Cleopatra extolled the virtues of vinegar as a beauty treatment, and knowledge of vinegar’s properties was used in the mummification process. The writings of the Greek physician, Hippocrates, who lived in 400 BCE show that he clearly understood the medicinal benefits to be found in vinegar and became a pioneer in the use of vinegar as medication. He found it could be used both internally as a drink and externally on the skin. Creating a preparation of vinegar, lotus shavings, oil and water, he would apply this solution directly to wounds. He was also a great believer in a mixture of honey and vinegar for easing sore throats and alleviating respiratory ailments, and even used vinegar as an early form of antibiotic.

A sketch from the 19th century showing the Orleans method of making wine vinegar.

Physicians from the Middle East also employed vinegar. Between 721 and 1037 CE, the Arab physicians Jabir Ibn Haiyan and Avicenna (Ibn Sina) realized its disinfectant properties, its use as a clotting agent and ability to reduce inflammation and alleviate burns. They also advocated it for headaches.

The properties of vinegar were also acknowledged in Chinese medicine. During the Sung dynasty vinegar was listed as one of the twelve items that no-one could do without and Chinese medicine extols the virtues of vinegar for stopping bleeding, increasing chi or qi (vital energy) and removing toxins. Vinegar is currently used for treating a variety of ailments. As recently as 2003, China used vinegar as part of the treatment for a pneumonia outbreak occurring across six cities.

The Romans drank vinegar for energy and refreshment – Caesar’s armies consumed vinegar as part of their preparation for battle to keep them strong and fit. The beverage was known as posca, a mixture of water and vinegar made from grape or date juice, and was supposed to be a stimulant. Jesus is recorded as having been given a sponge soaked in vinegar by a centurion, which many believe was intended to torment him further, but perhaps provided relief.

In the Middle Ages, a wine vinegar industry sprang up in Orleans, France, where as many as 300 producers were operating. This eventually led to the creation of a guild, known as the Vinegar, Sauce and Mustard Makers of Orleans. The traditional method of balsamic vinegar making, which originated in Modena, Italy, gained popularity across Europe as people discovered the new and delicate aromas of this style.

Vinegar’s disinfectant properties were put to good use during the various outbreaks of the Black Death (bubonic plague). People used it for protection against disease and thieves employed it to disinfect themselves when stealing from the dead. As sewage amassed in the streets in the 17th century, sponges soaked in vinegar were carried, which were held to the nose to block out the foul smell.

Ships at sea used vinegar to swab the decks and preserve foods – certainly Christopher Columbus’s crew did so in 1492 on the voyage to discover America. Louis Pasteur’s research into pasteurization and bacteria in 1864 led to extensive developments in vinegar production methods, opening the door to a new raft of industrial manufacturers.

In modern times, vinegar has been used to treat battle injuries. It has been hailed as an effective home remedy and has featured in countless recipe books. Now vinegar of all types is as commonplace as salt and pepper. It is amusing to think that the liquid Hannibal used to destroy boulders when sending his armies across the Alps is now a culinary ingredient that has stood the test of time.

As well as using vinegar, doctors covered themselves in protective clothing to protect against bubonic plague.

CHAPTER TWO

TYPES OF VINEGAR

The origin of vinegar itself is unknown. History offers no clue as to who first created white vinegar or how it was used but, for generations, women have passed down valuable cleaning tips using white vinegar and it was hailed as a domestic jack-of-all-trades long before proprietary cleaning fluids were available.

WHITE

Typically found in most households whether at the back of the kitchen cupboard or under the sink, this vinegar is the most widely used in the home. It is also known as distilled, spirit or grain vinegar and is clear in colour with a taste that is considered harsh in comparison to other vinegars. Standard white vinegar purchased from supermarkets is quite acidic.

While it is used predominantly for cleaning purposes, it is still an important ingredient in some recipes.

MAKING WHITE VINEGAR

The white vinegar most of us use is likely to have been bought in a supermarket. It often consists of acetic acid diluted