Vinegar : Acidity, Mother, Herbs, Potency, Shelflife

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

ACID: Vinegar can corrode metals because it's acidic by nature
(usually 4% to 6%), so you'll need to use glass or nonmetal  containers
and lids. On the upside, a high acid content also makes  vinegar an
unfriendly environment for bacteria, so you don't need to  worry about
spoilage.  MOTHER: If you buy an unpasteurized vinegar, however, don't
be  alarmed if a white film forms on the top. It's the harmless
"mother"  used to ferment vinegar. Just peel off and discard.
FLAVORING: Drop a sprig of fresh rosemary or a few leaves of basil
into some plain vinegar, and not very much happens. But gently crush
the leaves between your fingers, and shazam! the "bruised" herb  begins
to release Pungent flavors that will seep into the vinegar as  it ages.
The results are dramatic. Just a little bit goes a long way.  POTENCY:
Be sure, though, to match vinegars with the ingredients you  add to
them. Tart berries or strong flavored herbs (such as rosemary)  can
stand up to the boldness of red wine vinegar, while white wine or  rice
vinegars are best with milder fruits and herbs.  SHELFLIFE: You'll also
want to keep the batches small to keep flavors  potent. Vinegars made
with fruit, for example, stay at their flavor,  peak for three to six
months; vinegars made with herbs do so for  about six months. But you
can still use these vinegars beyond our  recommended time periods.
Their high acid content keeps them safe  indefinitely. They just won't
taste as intense.  ~(Edited by Pat Hanneman 10/01/98)-  Notes: Recipe
from "Cooking Class: The Good Stuff," recipes by Dave  DiResta and
Joanne Foran, authors of The Best 50 Flavored Oils and  Vinegars.
Recipe by: Cooking Light Sep98  Posted to EAT-LF Digest by Pat Hanneman
<kitpath@earthlink.net> on  Oct 01, 1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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