Favorite vinegar?

[Piccolina]

Hi all,

What is everyone's favorite vingegar, call me cliche but I love balsamic and anything that is berry infused!

 

[Raine]

I like most all vinegars, but probably my favorite is apple cider.

 

[jkath]

I love balsamic on virtually anything!
- has anyone tried the white balsamic? (I'm considering it so I stop staining things!)

However, when it comes to sliced cucumbers, rice vinegar is my favorite.

 

[kitchenelf]

White balsamic is wonderful!!!! A tad more sweet - I topped some cucumbers and onions with it and it was heaven!!!!

 

[jkath]

Okay, that's it! I'm off to Trader Joes for a bottle!

Thanks kitchenelf!!!

 

[jennyema]

Nice aged sherry vinegar at the moment.

 

[ironchef]

Champagne vinegar

 

[marmalady]

I'm with jenneyema - love sherry vinegar.


Also love the Japanese rice wine vinegar because of it's light, crisp taste.

And you just can't beat good ole apple cider for a traditional taste.

I have to admit I'm reaalaaaly burning out on balsamic.

 

[Ishbel]

Good aged balsamic (the real stuff from Modena)
a good white wine vinegar
ditto red wine
a brown malt vinegar (British fish n chips wouldn't be the same without it!)
Cider vinegar
Rice wine vinegar

 

[jpmcgrew]

I love all vinegars but at the moment I adore spanish sherry vinegars.I think its because they are so mild at the same time Im really into the good spanish sherry wines for cooking.There is a cook book out now called El Farrol out of Santa Fe one of the the oldests restaurant and bar in Santa Fe. Ive actually dined there as Im from New Mexico.I used their recipes on my winter job in Texas and they were a major hit. Its all about the Tapas which I made a few of the sherried mushrooms,spinach with raisins,and pasta with roasted poblanos,pinons and spanish mancheago cheese ?were amazing I also made the roasted duck with moroccan carrot sauce but I added more cinnamon and lemon to pull the flavor out.The recipes remind me of Indian Food but much less complicated.
Its amazing how many tapas they have, Iv'e never had squid that was not deep fried[calamara?] it was sauteed and it was awsome very much like lobster to me .I was quite impressed.Their specialty is Paella they have a few adobe rooms or a great outside patio it was a blast.
The bar is quite funky and alot of locals go there ,avoid them if you can as they are very territitorial of course if you choose to stay after dinner as 3 of my girlfriends did you can dance your butt off all night.

 

[pdswife]

Balsamic! So good!!!

 

[kadesma]

A good homemade red wine vinegar, blasamic, the thick kind, champagne, sherry, rice wine, just about any really, I use them for different things and love them all. For fried fish I use malt vinegar instead of a tartare sauce.

kadesma

 

[Piccolina]

I didn't know there was a white balsamic, but that makes total sense! Can anyone provide a good brand name/source of white balsamic?

Thanks all

 

[SierraCook]

Okay, that's it! I'm off to Trader Joes for a bottle!

Thanks kitchenelf!!!

Trader Joe's has it, jkath? I am going there this weekend. Maybe I will pick up a bottle.

 

[jennyema]

This is just an FYI, not a criticism....


Many commercial "balsamic" vinegars aren't real balsamic vinegar because they are made from regular wine vinegar with grape must added (and sometimes coloring and sugar). Most common "balsamics" of this type are made with red wine, must and carmel coloring. "White balsamics" are made with white wine.

Real balsamic vinegar is not made with red or white wine vinegar. It's made from the must of white trebbiano grapes, cooked down and aged in wooden barrels.

In fact, some of the so-called balsamics in the supermarket contain no must at all, but are red wine vinegars with coloring and sugar added. Always look for must in the ingredient list. If it's not there, don't buy it.

Real aged balsamic vinegar is usually quite expensive and is often used as a condiment and not in salad dressing, marinades, etc.

The supermarket balsamics (wine and must) have beaten out real balsamics in taste tests, however, so no one should hesitate to use them. Just make sure you read the label and buy one that contains grape must.

 

[kitchenelf]

What I consider the bests balsamic I have contains wine vinegar, concentrated grape must, cooked grape must, and a coloring - listed in that order.

Two bottles don't have any ingredients listed but one tells you HOW they make balsamic vinegar - just doesn't say THEY make it that way! lol

jenny - does the first one sound authentic even with the colourant caramel as they have it listed?

Can't find my white balsamic - must have used it all.

 

[jkath]

Here's what mine says on the back label of my "Monari Federzoni":

Ingredients: Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Product of Italy

 

[Michael in FtW]

jkath - I've got a bottle of "Green Label" balsamic from Monari and the ingredients listed on the back at the bottom of the label are: "Produced from grapes - contains sulfites" ... no mention of caramel coloring or added sugars.

I found Monari's website to be an interesting read: http://www.monarifederzoni.com/eng/azienda.htm

 

[jkath]

Thanks Michael! I particularly liked reading the recipes - who'd have thought to put balsamic in a glaze for upsidedown apple cake?

 

[Ishbel]

It adds a certain 'something' when sprinkled on strawberries - so it probably would add something to an apple cake, too.