Vinegar
Vinegar (from
Old French vinaigre "sour wine") is a sour liquid\nmade from the
oxidation of
ethanol in
wine,
cider,
beer, or the like. Vinegar is typically 3-5% by volume
acetic acid, and natural vinegars also contain smaller amounts of
tartaric acid,
citric acid, and others.
Production
Vinegar may be started by the addition of mother of vinegar to wine or cider. The oxidation is carried out by acetic acid bacteria, as was shown in 1864 by Louis Pasteur.
Usage in cuisine
Vinegar is commonly used in food preparations, particularly in vinaigrettes,\nand in the pickling process. It is also used as a condiment.
Malt vinegar
Malt vinegar is made by malting barley, causing the starch in the grain to turn to sugar. An ale is then brewed from the sugar and allowed to turn into vinegar, which is then aged. A cheaper alternative, called 'non-brewed condiment', is a solution of 4-8% acetic acid coloured with caramel.
The British and Americans commonly use malt vinegar on fish and chips.
White vinegar
White vinegar can be made by distilling malt vinegar, or may be nothing more than a solution of acetic acid in water.
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar is an aromatic, aged type of vinegar manufactured in Modena, Italy
Rice vinegar
The Japanese prefer a more delicate rice vinegar and use it for much the same purposes as Europeans.
Usage against viruses
Vinegar is a folk medicine used in China to prevent the spread of virus such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and other pneumonia outbreaks:
- "On February 13, 2003 news of a type of atypical pneumonia that appeared in six cities of south China's Guangdong province has been brought under control, with no cases reported since Monday. According to press conferences held by the Guangdong and Guangzhou governments, local governments at various levels have taken emergency measures to control the prices of isatis root, vinegar and other related anti-virus medicines, which saw soaring prices due to their effectiveness in curing this disease." Source Unknown
Vinegar along with
hydrogen peroxide (
H2O2) is used in the
livestock industry to kill
bacteria and viruses before refrigeration storage. A chemical mixture of peracetic acid is formed when
acetic acid is mixed with hydrogen peroxide. It is being used in some
Asian countries by
aerosol sprays for control of
pneumonia. Usually of a 5% acetic acid and a 3% hydrogen peroxide is commonly used.
See also
\n* Food additive\n* Balsamic Vinegar
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