Must have Kitchen Ingredient : Vinegars

Vinegar is one of the oldest fermented foods used in kitchen & other purpose. Bacteria convert fermented liquids like wine, cider, or beer into mild acetic acid to produce Vinegar. Vinegar is 5% acetic acid in water. Traditional vinegar is made from a carbohydrate (fruit, grain, etc.) by a process of Fermentation, which can yield complex flavors, aromas, and colors.

Vinegar is mainly made from ethanol by oxidation. Ethanol is derived from the different sources including wine, cider, beer or fermented fruit juice, or it may be made synthetically from natural gas and petroleum derivatives. Fast or slow fermentation processes are carried out for production of Commercial vinegar. Generally, slow methods are used for production of traditional vinegars and this fermentation proceeds slowly over the course of weeks or months which allows accumulation of a nontoxic glop composed of acetic acid bacteria and soluble cellulose, known as the mother of vinegar.

Vinegar may be produced in a period of 20 hours to three days in fast production methods. In this method mother of vinegar is added to the source liquid before adding air using a Venturi pump system or a turbine to promote oxygenation to obtain the fastest fermentation.

Types of vinegar:

• Wine vinegar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Balsamic vinegar
• Malt vinegar
• Fruit vinegar
• Herb vinegar
• Cane vinegar
• Rice vinegar
• Distilled white vinegar

Uses:

In Kitchen:

• Vinegar is commonly used as a condiment. Also, it is used in food preparations, particularly in pickling processes, vinaigrettes, and other salad dressings. It is an ingredient in sauces such as mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise.
• To deodorize the microwave, boil an equal mixture of vinegar and water in your microwave for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help loosen all splattered foodstuff and also remove all loose food particles and wipe clean with a soft cloth soaked in vinegar.
• To keep kitchen drain unclogged and smelling good use vinegar. Pour one cup of undiluted vinegar down the drain in a week and stand for an hour. Then flush with water.
• To remove cooking odors, Rub palms with vinegar and wash.
• To remove odors from your refrigerator wipe it with a soft cloth dipped in an equal mixture of vinegar and water.
• To unclog your steam iron, pour a mixture of half water and half vinegar in the water compartment and put the iron temperature and steam on maximum. Stand it for 5 to 10 minutes. All the lime-scales will get loose. Shake iron and drain out water when iron cools down. By this same way, you can also remove lime-scales from your washing machine.
• To keep your flowers fresh longer, add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water.
• While boiling eggs, add tablespoon of vinegar to the water. So, the whites will not spread all over and be much firmer and whiter.

As First Aid:

• To relieve a sore throat, Mix one tablespoon of vinegar to a glass of warm water and swallow it.
• To get instant relief from a blocked nose and sinus problems, inhale vapors of vinegar mixed in boiling water.
• Add a little vinegar to your bath water, for an extremely refreshing bath.
• Also, vinegar can be used to treat skin burns. apply ice cold vinegar right away for fast relief. Also, it prevents burn blisters.

Medical Uses:

• Cholesterol and Triacylglycerol Effects: Acetic acid (the main component of vinegar) had significantly lower values for serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerol, among other health benefits. In trial participants who ate vinegar and oil salad dressings frequently, reduced risk of ischemic heart disease was observed.
• Blood glucose control and diabetic management: Small amounts of vinegar added to food, or taken along with a meal, reduce the glycemic index of carbohydrate food for people with and without diabetes.
• Infections: While vinegar can be an effective antibacterial cleaning agent on hard surfaces such as washroom tiles and countertops.

As a cleaning agent:

• For many house hold cleaning problem, vinegar has been marketed as a green solution. Vinegar has been used as urine cleaner for pets and also as a weed killer.
• For cleaning epoxy resin and hardener, vinegar is an excellent solvent.
• White vinegar is often used as a household cleaning agent to remove dissolve mineral deposits from glass, coffee makers, and other smooth surfaces.
• Dilution with water is recommended for safety purpose and to avoid damaging to the surfaces being cleaned.

Side Effects:

Long term ingestion of vinegar may cause:

• Hypokalemia
• Hyperreninemia
• Osteoporosis

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