I Love Vinegar!!!!!!!!!

[schrutefarms]

I love anything pickled. I eat marinated artichoke hearts out of the jar. My sandwiches always have sour pepper rings. My bread at dinner is DRENCHED in balsamic. I LOVE VINEGAR!!!!! Anyone else??

[pdxgastro]

I discovered Japanese rice vinegar in Teriyaki joints. I loved it so much, I waited for the employee at the counter to turn away so I could slurp it from my plate after I'd finished my salad.

[pitterpatter]

In addition to the usual ones -- Bragg's Apple Cider, cheap white and red balsamics, white and red wines, aged sherries, rice and a half-dozen aged balsamics, I also use regularly:

From Spain: Chardonnay, Vermouth, Moscatel
Coconut from the Philipines
Black from China
I recently finished a bottle of Apple Cider vinegar from France that was fabulous
Champagne vinegar goes into all my salad dressings

[foodiesnorth]

We hardly have meals without mid range balsamic to very high end balsamic vinegar. Sometimes it is to mix with good quality oils, sometimes to use with a tomato/buffalo mozza/basil salad and sometimes it is part of a vinegarette. One pantry (called the "bunker" by a sister in law...we have three of them actually) has a three foot by four foot shelf filled with nothing oils and vinegars. It used to be the SECOND shelf up, until it collapsed from the weight!

We just got our order from Chianti of artisanal oil and have vinegar from Kentucky on its way in the mail. I just bought a sherry vinegar from Spain that I am dying to try when I get home. Any where we travel or any we find online we (well, "I" - truth be told) buy it. We spent over two hours in a Mercado in Florence two summers ago tasting all of their balsamics (and walking away with $300 worth). We love oils and vinegars...were there an EVOO and Balsamics Anonymous, we would attend regularily (not to kick the habit, but to talk about it of course). We have special fish and chip vinegars, infused vinegars, white balsamic, probably 20 kinds of balsamics/balsamic styles from around the world, red and black vinegars for asian food, malt vinegars, wine vinegars from specifac varietals, white vinegars, apple vinegars...you name it. We even have a couple made in British Columbia. Weird, eh?

[huaqiao]

When you go to authentic SE Asian restaurants, you'll sometimes find a pepper-vinegar condiment that's actually pretty easy to make yourself. Just slice some Serrano peppers and put them into a container with a little sugar and cover with distilled vinegar. Let sit for a few days and voila! There's nothing particularly Asian about the ingredients, but this always reminds me of Thai and Vietnamese food.

[umbushi plum]

my second favourite food is marinated artichoke hearts yum!! and my mum drinks a half cup of balsamic vinegar a day, i love vinegary foods too and i don't know if this counts but as i've mentioned elswhere ume plums are awesome!

[alwayscooking]

Vinegar is a great last minute acid addition to almost anything (Including ice cream fruits, stews, braises, roast pan sauces The basics for me:

- white for cleaning, as a fabric softening, and for pickling
- 4 balsamics: cooking, salad, better, and rarely shared
- apple cider
- champagne
- 2 rice wine: dark and swet
- sherry

And the reason I decided to post:
- Minus 8 - a drizzling vinegar I'd readily recommend

But my collection of oils is larger . .

[cayjohan]

Okay, alwayscooking, you hooked me with "ice cream fruits." Do tell what you do, and will this work for blending into ice cream in the purchased form? Cay

[alwayscooking]

Use a sweet vinegar like an aged balsamic or the Minus 8 and simply drizzle like chocolate over the top. Works great for ice cream or cut fruit. Very nice indeed.

[limster]

A complex, fairly fruity black vinegar from Zhen4 Jiang1 is a great condiment/seasoning - I add it to all sorts of dishes.

[EWSflash]

I have a cabinet that's nothing but vinegar of varying types. I thought I had it all, but i can see from these posts I'm going to have to seek out some other types!

[goodhealthgourmet]

i confess...i'm an acid freak. i *love* vinegar & citrus. in fact, aside from heavily salted foods, i prefer anything on the more savory end of the flavor spectrum. i'll take spicy, acidic or sour over sweet any day.

vinegars currently in the cupboard:
apple cider
champagne
balsamic (a bottle of everyday and a bottle of the good stuff)
pear balsamic
white balsamic
brown rice
white rice
red wine
white wine
sherry

don't even get me started on my mustard & hot sauce inventory...

[cayjohan]

Oh...tell me about the pear balsamic! What flavors does it bring? How do you use it?

So curious.

Cay

[goodhealthgourmet]

white balsamic with pear - it's really lovely. the pear is subtle, so the overall flavor is just slightly floral & fruity.

i use it to dress simple salads that contain bitter greens, fruit, nuts & cheese, and it's excellent in marinades or reduced into a glaze for chicken & pork. good stuff.

[cayjohan]

ghg;

Is this a hard-to-find specialty vinegar, or something you've infused yourself?

I'm captivated, as I am with anythng*pear*! If you have a source, I'd love to know it.

Best, and thanks!
Cay

[goodhealthgourmet]

you should be able to find it at various gourmet/specialty shops, or even supermarkets that carry higher-end condiments & seasonings.

the first few times i picked it up were at specialty shops, and they were aged...one was the Perfect Pear brand, and it was fabulous. i can't remember the others. anyway, i used it up, and i happened to spot a bottle of Alessi at Kings - a local chain supermarket - so i grabbed it. i haven't opened it yet- i fear it may not be as good as the others i've had, but i guess we'll see.

i'm currently lusting after the Key Lime, Blackberry-Ginger, Mango-Chili, and Lemon-Fig Balsamics from A Perfect Pear:

http://store.poshgourmet.com/vinegars...

if you Google "pear balsamic vinegar" you'll find quite a few different products...

[dinaofdoom]

alessi is okay and perfectly serviceable.
i have found, with flavored vinegars, that you tend to get what you pay for...

[cayjohan]

Thanks, ghg...I think I may need to put this on my birthday present list for Hub! Best, Cay

[HillJ]

http://store.poshgourmet.com/pumpkin-...

and I raise you one pumpkin grapeseed oil on a grilled apple & pear salad with goat cheese, dried cranberries and greek olives!

Posh is da bomb!

[dinaofdoom]

earlier today, i was thinking about how much my palate and tastes have changed over the years.
i used to have a wicked sweet tooth, but for the past few years i am all about the savory and the sour.
and, i must confess, i am not nearly the vinegar gourmand that some of you are, but here's my rotation:
bragg's ACV
white balsamic
regular balsamic
pomegranite balsamic
rice
brown rice

i would love to add some coconut vinegars and more exotic ones to my collection, but i'm trying to be frugal and more simple these days so i won't buy another bottle until i run out of one in the cupboard.

for the most part, i make marinades, sauces or dressings but sometimes...i just drink it!

[schrutefarms]

MMMMM Braggs ACV.....But seriously...I could drink a bottle of Ralphs Greek Vinagrette alone....

[tatamagouche]

Me too—a shot of apple cider vinegar now and then hurts so good. I also drink pickle juice from the jar.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i drink apple cider vinegar several times a day - for those of us who are mildly insulin-resistant it helps moderate blood sugar & insulin responses to food. seriously.

[schrutefarms]

I started drinking it to cure my acid reflux. It totally works.

[goodhealthgourmet]

great hangover remedy as well - helps the liver metabolize the toxins.

[schrutefarms]

I wish I knew that about twelve hours ago!

[kubasd]

i like to use balsamic as a chaser for shots of icy vodka..... ya know, acid like a lemon or lime.... it works and tastes delicious. I've also been known to use just vinegar on my salad. Sandwiches must have pepper rings, I love pickles and capers for the bite. A good tarragon vinegar is always delicious. Oh and what would be a dumpling dipping sauce without rice vinegar in with the sesame oil? A turkey brined with apple cider vinegar is amazing too. If i have to use a jarred spaghetti sauce I'll add a couple slugs of vinegar (preferably balsamic but any kind works).

[gryphonskeeper]

I do the same thing tatam, My mom used to tell me I would get sick if I drank pickle juice. HA! I actually buy pickles based on the best brine water. My current favorite is Market Basket brand. I buy the huge one gallon jar, and in a week its gone. I also drag my pickles through my homemade salad dressing of EVOO and different vinegars that I used a hand immersion blender to emulsify.

[JungMann]

As a Filipino, the dish cayjohan mentions predisposes my palate to the different shades of sour that comes from all things tangy: Lumpia dipped in spicy chili vinegar, crisp shards of roast pork tossed in a sweet and salty sauce of shrimp paste and cider vinegar, strands of briny seaweed in a bracing coconut vinaigrette. I have to confess that I'm among those who also snack on those sour banana peppers. I'm glad to know I'm not alone!

[Catskillgirl]

Oh, that all sounds so, so good! I need to get more adventurous with trying new kinds of vinegar. In my cupboard all I have are white, malt & balsamic. And I have never tried a banana pepper - I'm going to rectify *that* tonight while grocery shopping!

[goodhealthgourmet]

Catskillgirl, definitely add sherry vinegar, rice wine vinegar & apple cider vinegar to your pantry.

[Catskillgirl]

Thanks! I do have apple cider vinegar in my pantry - I love to add it to pork ribs (mixed with white vinegar). And I just had my first experience with hot banana peppers - OMG, they are good! I can't think why I never tried them before. I can see a real addiction being born as we speak. :-)

[goodhealthgourmet]

sliced pepperoncini are the *perfect* addition to a Greek salad.

[Boccone Dolce]

Just read about this Gravenstein Apple Vinegar that has me curious. Now, I don't drench things in vinegar but lately I am obsessed with jarred banana peppers- that tangy/hot crunch is addicting.

[schrutefarms]

I looove banana peppers--I like to bite off the end and suck out all the juice. That sounds weird. But you know what I mean.

[satoorisme]

I like my fries with some good ol' white vinegar.... call it canadiana or whatever you want, but I love it!

[easily amused]

Love Vinegar !! Find that when we travel to the USA I have to pack some small packets to have on hand for those food emergencies. Not generally offered as a condiment for fries there?? Most wait staff will look at me oddly.. not sure what I plan to put the vinegar on?

[Catskillgirl]

No, it's not generally offered. I actually discovered my love of malt vinegar at a county fair, where they sell the most amazing freshly-sliced french fries. Now those food stands generally have the wisdom to offer vinegar - usually white and malt varieties. I don't know why it's not more available!

[Catskillgirl]

I love vinegar. French fries drenched (drowned!) in malt vinegar would have to be part of my last meal or I would refuse to die. *G* I love pork ribs in the slow cooker with some bottled sauce and about a cup of white vinegar. Easy, cheap and so tasty! And who could live without salt & vinegar potato chips? Well, I could, but I'd be unhappy.... I crave the bite of vinegar whenever I get a salad and the dressing is too sweet or creamy for my taste. I think I need to compose an Ode to Vinegar....

[Soop]

hahah, this bought to mind that thread about craving foods you need - maybe you have a vinegar imbalance!

[Richard 16]

Let's see - right now I have plain white (good for cleaning), rice, seasoned rice, brown rice, hato mugi (Jacob's Tears), purple sweet potato, Sherry, Red balsamic, white balsamic, apple cider, coconut, and red wine vinegars.

I'm planning on trying asparagus, beer, Banyul's wine, black currant, cherry, ice wine, apricot, elder berry, fig, and apple vinegars (and others) when I have more room and my wife says its O.K...

Oh yeah - I have had some herb infused ones (tarragon, rosemary, etc.) also...

[cayjohan]

Richard, have you been in my cupboard? :-)

I take huge grief from my people about my vinegar fixation. "There goes Cay again with her vinegared this, and vinegared that," and what the newest bottle is.

BUT: The people are also pleased with the outcome. Two days ago I got a full body tackle-type hug from Miss 16 daughter, proclaiming the vinegary Filipino chicken and pork adobo with spiced coconut vinegar "the best meal everrrrrr." She asked how I made it. I told her it's all in the vinegar simmer.

The Hub gets a lttle annoyed with the vinegar inventory, but since it's not going to go bad, I ignore the annoyance. Still, he was kind enough to give be carte blanche on Valentine's day to buy all the vinegary and pickled things I love at one of my favorite markets.

Damn, this thread is making me want to infuse some vinegars!

Glad to know there are other sour folks out there!

Cay

[schrutefarms]

I bought a fig balsamic awhile ago--it's great, all you need is bread.

[lunchbox]

Richard's been in my pantry, too!
I have got to try that hato Mugi, and I had no idea you could make vinegar from Purple sweet potatoes!
That said, I couldn't live without my sherry vinegar, my blood orange vinegar, and the red wine vinegar I pay through the nose for just to put onto my salads.

Richard, between the Banyuls (yum) and the Icewine (YUM!) try to find some late harvest Riesling vinegar- its great on ICECREAM.

[sheilal]

Ditto! My salads always consist of a bit of creamy dressing (ranch or honey mustard) with loads of vinegar sprinkled on top. I love the tang of it. Champagne vinegar is my favorite. I also love pickled jalapenos and pepperchinis.

And who can eat fish & chips without malt vinegar??!! Yum!

[kattyeyes]

"Fish, chips and vinegar...vinegar...vinegar. Fish, chips and vinegar...pepper, pepper, pepper, salt." Remember this song sung as a round--it was the third part. It hits me whenever my guy orders fish & chips as he always wants malt vinegar with it. "One bottle of pop, two bottles of pop..." "Don't put your muck in my backyard, my backyard, my backyard..."

I actually love pepperoncini peppers on my sandwich for the same vinegary reason as you, schrutefarms. They're a must on any Italian combo-like thing I make (though rare for me now)...salami, proscuittini, provolone and pickled pepperoncini.

Also had a very delicious bruschetta over the weekend topped with scallop, smoked salmon and drizzled with balsamic. NICE! And I picked up a raspberry balsamic a couple of weeks ago when I was experimenting with a new recipe. There are so many vinegar variations, you could go nuts exploring them all. Maybe have a tasting party? :)

EDIT: P.S. Of course you love vinegar. Is there any other way to eat beets (schrutefarms)?! ;)