Vinegar

Vinegar (from Old French vyn egre 'sour wine') is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings.

As the most easily manufactured mild acid, it has a wide variety of industrial and domestic uses, including functioning as a household cleaner.

The word "acetic" derives from Latin acētum (vinegar, or more properly vinum acetum: "wine turned sour").

[7] The book Zhou Li mentions that many noble or royal households had a "vinegar maker" as a specialized occupation.

Many Chinese kinds of vinegar and their uses for culinary and medicinal purposes were written down in the agricultural manual Qimin Yaoshu (齊民要術).

[8] Balsamic vinegar also began its evolution in the Duchy of Modena in Italy, though it would not become widely known until the Napoleonic Wars after being sold abroad by French troops.

Karl Sebastian Schüzenbach invented the first large-scale industrial process for vinegar production in the Kingdom of Baden in 1823.

[7] Known as the packed generator, it circulated alcohol over beechwood shavings to reduce fermentation times from several months down to 1–2 weeks.

The conversion of ethanol (CH3CH2OH) and oxygen (O2) to acetic acid (CH3COOH) takes place by the following reaction:[12] Vinegar contains numerous flavonoids, phenolic acids, and aldehydes,[13] which vary in content depending on the source material used to make the vinegar, such as orange peel or various fruit juice concentrates.

The longer fermentation period allows for the accumulation of a nontoxic slime composed of acetic acid bacteria and their cellulose biofilm, known as mother of vinegar.

Fast methods add the aforementioned mother of vinegar as a bacterial culture to the source liquid before adding air to oxygenate and promote the fastest fermentation.

The original product — traditional balsamic vinegar — is made from the concentrated juice, or must, of white Trebbiano grapes.

It is dark brown, rich, sweet, and complex, with the finest grades being aged in successive casks made variously of oak, mulberry, chestnut, cherry, juniper, and ash wood.

A cheaper non-DOC commercial form described as aceto balsamico di Modena (balsamic vinegar of Modena)[27] became widely known and available around the world in the late 20th century, typically made with concentrated grape juice mixed with a strong vinegar, then colored and slightly sweetened with caramel and sugar.

It ranges from dark yellow to golden brown in color, and has a mellow flavor, similar in some respects to rice vinegar, though with a somewhat "fresher" taste.

[34] Chinese black vinegar is an aged product made from rice, wheat, millet, sorghum, or a combination of these.

The recipe is not fixed, so some Chinese black vinegars may contain added sugar, spices, or caramel color.

Products made from synthetically produced acetic acid cannot be called "vinegar" in the UK, where the term allowed is "non-brewed condiment".

It is concentrated and has generous aromas, including a note of wood, ideal for vinaigrettes and flavoring various foods.

[37] The most common starting material in some regions, because of its low cost, is barley malt,[41] or in the United States, corn.

In terms of its shelf life, vinegar's acidic nature allows it to last indefinitely without the use of refrigeration; it is essentially already "spoiled".

Other preparations, known colloquially as "shrubs", range from simply mixing sugar water or honey water with small amounts of fruity vinegar, to making syrup by laying fruit or mint in vinegar for several days, then sieving off solid parts and adding considerable amounts of sugar.

Preliminary research indicates that consuming 2–4 tablespoons of vinegar may cause small reductions in post-meal levels of blood glucose and insulin in people with diabetes.

[45] In a 100 mL (3+1⁄2 US fl oz) reference amount, distilled vinegar supplies 75 kJ (18 kcal) of food energy and no micronutrients in significant content.

[28] Since antiquity, folk medicine treatments have used vinegar, but no conclusive evidence from clinical research supports health claims of benefits for diabetes, weight loss, cancer, or use as a probiotic.

[3][46] A systematic review and meta-analysis later suggested it could help type 2 diabetics reduce insulin and glucose after meals.

Malt vinegar sprinkled onto crumpled newspaper is a traditional, and still-popular, method of cleaning grease-smeared windows and mirrors in the United Kingdom.

According to testing done by Consumer Reports, vinegar is ineffective as a rinse aid and in removing hard-water film while used in a dishwasher.

"[55][56] Other household items and surfaces that can be damaged by vinegar include flooring, stone countertops, knives, the screens of electronic devices, clothes iron water tanks, and rubber components of various small appliances.

Common metals that can be damaged by vinegar include aluminum, copper, and lower-quality grades of stainless steel often used in small appliances.