There are many uses for balsamic vinegar beyond just the traditional salad dressing. In case you didn’t know, balsamic vinegar is typically made from a reduction of wine grapes, but unlike wine it is fermented for much longer in a process to turn it into vinegar. These used to be only made through the traditional process, but now there are commercial varieties that use shortcuts which lower the cost drastically. That means that the product is now widely accessible for anyone and everyone to use.

Traditional Uses For Balsamic Vinegar

There are a lot of Health Benefits to using balsamic vinegar, as demonstrated by many health experts and celebrities using it in their diets. One of the more popular uses for this product is as a replacement for fatty salad dressings. By mixing the balsamic together with olive oil and seasoning, you can really add a zing to your salad without adding anything extra to your waistline. This used to be something that very few people requested in restaurants or cafes, but now it’s a mainstream option, which shows just how popular it’s become.

Aside from salad dressing, there are a few other uses for balsamic that you may not have heard about. First of all, you can use balsamic as a marinade for your meat as well. It works particularly well with white meats like chicken, pork and also seafood. The sweet and sour taste of the vinegar is the perfect complement to the base taste of the meat, and it helps to keep the meat moist during the cooking process as well. Secondly, believe it or not, one of the little known uses for this kind of vinegar is in desserts. For example, you can marinate fresh strawberries with higher quality balsamic to add a sweet, tangy taste to this classic dessert when you serve it together with cream or ice cream. Alternatively, you can sprinkle it on cheesecake or a cheese platter to add a unique taste.

Other Uses For Balsamic Vinegar

Perhaps you have uses for balsamic vinegar that I have failed to mention here, after all we all experiment in the kitchen and sometimes even the most unlikely combinations can prove to be a winner. So what are your “secret recipes” that involve uses for balsamic that no one has ever tried before? I’d love to hear about them so do share them with me.

You can share your unique uses for balsamic vinegar with me at my site, and discover the contributions of other kitchen experimenters as well.

You may discover uses for balsamic vinegar that you have never even thought about!

Vinegar is described in the dictionary as an acid liquid obtained from an alcoholic liquid, as cider, by oxidation, as an acetous fermentation: used as a condiment and as a preservative. It is the product of two biochemical processes.

1. Alcoholic fermentation, which changes natural, sugars into alcohol.
2. Acid fermentation in which acetobacter, a group bacteria, converts the alcohol portion into acid.

There are four basic types of vinegar;

1. Distilled vinegar made by the acid fermentation of distilled alcohol. This is the white vinegar you can probably find in your house now.
2. Malt vinegar fermented from barley malt or other grains that can be converted to maltose (known as C12 H22 011 H20, the chemical formula.
3. Vinegar made from sugar, a two-step fermentation of sugar or molasses.
4. Vinegar that is made from juices in a two-step fermentation process. Apple juice is the juice of choice and most commonly used. However, other fruits such as peaches, grapes, and berries can be used as well.

Extremely popular vinegar, most everyone knows and usually found in restaurants, is Balsamic vinegar. The process of producing Balsamic vinegar begins with crushing grapes and concentrating the juice over an open flame. This produces what is called “must”. The “must” is then fermented with yeast to produce alcohol, and is again fermented by the “madre” culture, producing the Balsamic vinegar we know so well. The entire process occurs in wooden barrels and as the liquid evaporates over time, it is then transferred to smaller barrels. It is these wooden barrels that what will give the vinegar its unique aromatic taste.

Some very interesting stories that are attributed to the use of vinegar since it was discovered approximately 10,000 years ago. No one knows who discovered it, but it probably occurred by accident. Vinegar means sour wine, so what probably happened was that some wine turned sour and vinegar was born. There are references to the healing and soothing properties of vinegar in the Bible. Vinegar was not permitted to be used by commoners, but was only permitted for use by the nobility by decree.

Roman legionnaires used vinegar as a beverage. They must have had strong stomachs. In Babylonian times it was used as an herb flavored condiment. Cleopatra is attributed to making a wager that she could consume a fortune in a single meal. She won her bet by dissolving precious pearls in vinegar and consumed the liquid with her meal. It was a dinner fit for a queen.

When Hannibal had to cross the Alps, there were boulders that obstructed his path. He found an ingenious way to overcome that obstacle. He had the boulders heated and then drenched with vinegar, causing them to crack and crumble so that they were easily cleared aside. One of the most interesting facts is that Hippocrates, the father of medicine spoke very highly of using vinegar as a remedy for many ills. The Egyptians used vinegar for medicinal purposes for a great many ills.

The uses for vinegar are many, and some new use is always being found. These are just some that can be used at home for our daily chores.

• Clean windows by using a mixture of water and vinegar.
• Dampen a cloth with vinegar to remove stains from chrome and stainless steel.
• Wipe shower walls and door with vinegar-soaked cloth to remove and prevent mildew and mold from growing.
• Use water and vinegar to rinse glasses and dishes to remove film and spots.
• Add vinegar instead of water to the coffee maker and run the cycle. Then add plain water and run through cycle again to rinse. Will remove buildup of scale.
• To remove scale from teakettle, add water and vinegar and let stand overnight.
• To clean a hardened paint brush, let it simmer in boiling water and rinse in very hot soapy water.
• Wipe your oven frequently with vinegar, that will help prevent a buildup of grease, making cleaning much easier.
• Adding a little vinegar to the water will make cleaning your car easier and make it shine.
• When seats in cane chairs start to sag use a solution of half water and half vinegar. Heat solution until hot, then sponge the seats and place outdoors in the sun to dry.
• Add a little vinegar to the water when mopping tile floors. It will make them shine and also act as a deodorant and prevent mold and mildew.

In the kitchen and the preparing of foods, there are many uses as well.

• Rinse your fruits and vegetables in a solution of vinegar and water before eating or preparing the food for cooking.
• Make a better piecrust by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to recipe. The crust will be flakier.
• Add a little vinegar when boiling eggs. If there are cracks in the egg, it will prevent the whites from leaking out.
• Add a teaspoon of vinegar when poaching eggs to prevent separation.
• When canning or preserving foods, wipe the jars with vinegar. That will prevent the buildup of mold producing bacteria.
• To improve the taste of fish when cooking, rinse in a solution of vinegar and water. Much of the fishy taste and odor will be removed.
• A spoon full of vinegar added to the water when cooking cauliflower will make it whiter, and when cooking green vegetables, it will make them greener.
• Adding a tablespoon of vinegar to gelatin will make it firmer.
• Add a 1/8 to ¼ cup of cider vinegar when soaking beans to remove the gas from the beans.
• Cabbage odor can be removed when cooking cabbage by adding some vinegar to the water.
• To prevent mold from the end of an uncooked ham, just rub some vinegar on it.
• To make a real fluffy meringue, add one teaspoon of vinegar to 3 egg whites.
• Adding vinegar to the water when boiling a ham will remove the salty taste and improve the flavor.
• New Englanders put vinegar on their French fries. It is also used that way in the UK.

In health related issues, vinegar has many applications. Some such uses are.

• For skin burns apply ice-cold vinegar immediately. Use cold compresses by soaking a cloth in vinegar. Using these compresses 3 or 4 times daily. Doing this can prevent blisters from forming.
• Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to water in a plastic pan. Use to soak your feet to soften calluses. Makes trimming toenails and cuticles much easier.
• Add 2 cups of cider vinegar to a hot tub. Makes an excellent soak for muscle soreness. This reduces the soreness by adding potassium to the muscles.
• One of the best uses is making solution of half vinegar and half water, this basically is a solution that could be bought commercially, and was called “Burrow’s Solution”. It is an excellent solution to reduce the swelling and inflammation of a sprained ankle, by applying a cold compress. Use it also for any other injury that causes pain, swelling, and inflammation.

The versatility of vinegar makes it practically mandatory that all households have a bottle of white, and a bottle of apple cider vinegar in the pantry. And you needn’t worry about it becoming outdated or spoiling. It doesn’t spoil and can be kept indefinitely.

Throughout culinary history there have arisen many great pairings: salt and pepper, chocolate and peanut butter, chips and salsa. But there exists one often overlooked pair that I simply could not do without.

With their complimentary coloring, silky textures and subtle bite, olive oil and balsamic vinegar are the secret weapon of many a savvy cook. Whether dipping hot, crusty Italian bread, or tossing it with your favorite greens, this dynamic duo packs a high-health, low-guilt punch with very little effort.

I’ve got olive oil in my cupboard, but what is this balsamic stuff you’re talking about,” you ask hungrily?

Well, let me take a moment to spread the good word about my new vinegar friend. Lurking behind a rich, burgundy exterior lies a subtly sweet yet seriously sour syrup jam-packed with Health Benefits and complex flavors. (In fact, I just found out that the Italian word balsamico, means “curative”!)

Unlike other vinegars, traditional balsamic is made from a reduction of two different types of grapes and then aged for at least 12 years. I am a firm believer that good things come in old packages – if I do say so myself – and this tangy treat is certainly no exception! Its complex flavors can easily stand alone and in my experience it is often best-served drizzled atop tomatoes, bruschetta or other equally simple dishes.

Broadening my culinary horizons, I have thrown open the curtains to a terrific new way of incorporating balsamic into a classic recipe. Balsamic Potato Salad dishes up a perfectly un-classic take on a down-home picnic favorite, and the results are utterly fantastic. Using a combination of red potatoes, sour cream and balsamic, turns old-fashioned potato salad on its end while still preserving a traditional feel. Since I am a huge balsamic vinegar fan AND red potato fan, this potato salad is one of my favorites of all the potato salads I have tasted. Pictures are hard to give it justice.

And that is precisely why you have to give it a try yourself! Go ahead, you can thank me later; preferably with a recipe you created, using balsamic somewhere in the mix.

Similarly, my Kitchen Crew Recipe Club and I were wowed by the zing that balsamic adds to black-eyed pea salad recipes. The flavors added to those dishes are the perfect jumping-off point for your next creative day in the kitchen. If you don’t like black-eyed peas, try chick peas! Not a green pepper fan? Throw in some zucchini instead. The basic foundation you can create with spices and vinegar will compliment most any ingredient addition.

And it is that versatility that is really at the heart of what I love so much about balsamic. A little dash will brighten up many a dish. In fact, I have heard of a lot of folks using it as an ingredient in their sweet dishes as well. We have not given that a go just yet, but you can bet it is on our schedule of things to make!

Born in Lexington, Ky., Janet first developed her passion for cooking and cooking club groups at the early age of 14. As a child, she loved cooking for her grandfather and his workers. Now she shares her culinary skills by participating in church socials and a recipe club as she adds to her own recipe box. For the past five years, Janet has served as a chef assistant at a culinary school in Franklin, Tenn. and cooking book clubs, fine-tuning her skills and swapping hometown recipes with friends and neighbors. Her culinary skills, combined with a dose of southern hospitality, make her the perfect host for the Just A Pinch online community.