Hints For Cooking With Vinegar

Hints For Cooking With Vinegar

Try some of these vinegar cooking tips
and make cooking easier and tastier.
Use inexpensive white distilled vinegar or distilled apple cider vinegar
unless the recipe calls for a different type.

Red wine vinegar substitute
Simply add 2 parts vinegar with 1 part dry red wine
to make a substitute for red wine vinegar
--
Better beans
Add two teaspoons of vinegar to the pot when cooking dried beans.
It will make them tender and easier on the digestive system,
(less gas produced).
--
Colorful beets
Add a little vinegar to the water when cooking beats.
It retains the color
--
Clear vinegar
Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to your vinegar cruet
and the vinegar will stay clear.
--
Freshen cauliflower
Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the water
you boil or steam the cauliflower in.
This works great for cauliflower that is no longer
freshly cut
it whitens and improves its taste and looks.
--
Fresher cottage cheese
A teaspoon of vinegar added to a carton of cottage cheese
will keep it fresh right down to the last spoonful,
without altering the flavor.
--
Zestier soup
Make vegetable or bean soups taste better
by adding 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar just before serving.
It gives the soups a zesty zip.
--
Perk up canned food
Add a teaspoon of red wine vinegar to canned gravy, soup, or sauces.
The vinegar adds flavor and makes the canned food taste fresher.
--
Freshen canned shrimp
Soak canned shrimp in a little sherry and two tablespoons of vinegar
for 15 minutes for a fresher taste.
Drain and/or rinse.
--
Fruit flavor
Sprinkle white vinegar on fresh cantaloupe or canned fruit
to perk the fruit up and bring out the flavor.
--
Fruit dressing
Create a tasty pink dressing for fruit and fruit salad
by stirring 2 tablespoons strawberry or raspberry vinegar
into 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream.
--
Strawberries with zip
Give ripe strawberries a sweet mouthwatering tang.
In a large bowl, gently mix
1 pint sliced strawberries with 4 tablespoons sugar.
Let stand for 30 minutes.
Add 1-tablespoon balsamic vinegar and stir, serve immediately.
--
Lemon substitute
Vinegar can be used in place of lemon juice
unless you really need the taste of lemon.
Use ½ teaspoon vinegar
for each teaspoon of lemon juice called for in a recipe.
--
Firm gelatin
Adding one teaspoon of vinegar per box of gelatin
used in salads and molds
will help keep the gelatin to hold up in the heat of the summer.
--
Buttermilk substitute
Place 1 tablespoon of vinegar into a measuring cup and
add milk until you have one cup.
Let sit 5 or more minutes to allow thickening or
heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.
--
Firmer fish fillets
Soak fish fillets for about 20 minutes in
a quart of water and 2 tablespoons vinegar
--
Scaling fish
Rub vinegar and allow to sit for 5 minutes before scaling fish
--
Flavorful fish
One tablespoon of vinegar
to fried or boiled fish (or seafood) when cooking brings out the flavor.
--
Improve hard-boiled eggs
Add two tablespoons of white vinegar per quart of water
while boiling eggs.
This will prevent cracking and the shells will peel off faster and easier.
--
Poached Eggs
Place a drop or two of vinegar to the water while poaching eggs
it keeps the white from spreading.
You can also use an empty tuna can (bottom and top removed)
for the poaching ring.
Just drop the ring in a pan of boiling water
and crack and egg or two inside.
--
Fluffy rice
To make white rice fluffy and less sticky,
add one teaspoon of white distilled vinegar or rice vinegar
to the boiling water.
--
Moist cake
Add a spoonful of vinegar to the dry ingredients of a cake mix.
You will be amazed at the difference!
--

Meat tenderizer
Meat fibers are broken down and tenderized by vinegar.
Less expensive lean cuts of meat can be used in most recipes
without sacrificing flavor.
Soak the meat in vinegar (red wine vinegar works best) overnight;
if desired, rinse off the vinegar before cooking.
--
Improve flavor of game
Soak in a mixture of half vinegar and half water for at least one hour
before cooking.
--
Improve cheese longevity
Wrap cheese brick in a moist paper towel
with a small amount of cider vinegar.
Store the cheese in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container.
You may need to add water or a drop or two of cider vinegar to keep
the towel damp.
This retains moisture and prevents molding without changing the taste.
--
White mashed potatoes
Adding 1 teaspoon of vinegar for each pound of potatoes
keeps the potatoes white.
--
Unpleasant odors
Smelly foods, like fish or vegetables that gives off unpleasant odors
while cooking can be improved by
adding a little vinegar to the water while cooking.
--
Fried foods
Make fried foods taste less greasy
by adding a tablespoon of vinegar to the pan or deep fryer
before adding the oil.
--
Dish too salty?
Add a teaspoon of cider vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar
to eliminate the salty taste.
--
Dish too sugary?
Add a teaspoon of cider vinegar to reduce the sweetness.
--
Wine substitute
Dilute one-part vinegar to three parts of water
and you have a substitute for wine.
--
Garlic substitute
Use garlic vinegar instead of fresh garlic in any recipe.
One teaspoon is the equivalent of a small clove of garlic.
--
Seafood tenderizer
The acid in vinegar tenderizes muscle fiber in
salmon, lobster, oysters and other fish.
Soak in vinegar for several hours or overnight.
If desired, rinse off before cooking.
--
Better sweets
Add a teaspoon of vinegar to baked pies, cakes and other sweet desserts
to enhance the flavor and make the texture lighter.
--
Shiny frosting
Add 1/2 teaspoon vinegar to homemade frosting
to make the texture soft and creamy.
White frosting will look very white and shiny.
--
Keep cut produce from browning
Keep cut apples, pears and avocados and potatoes from browning
by dipping them into a small bowl of
water with 2 tablespoons of vinegar added.
Or you can simply soak the produce in vinegar water until you are
ready to use them.
--
Wilted vegetables
Quickly dunk wilted vegetables in
hot tap water,
and then place them in a bowl of ice water
with a tablespoon of cider white vinegar.
--
Steaming vegetables
Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the water used for steaming vegetables.
They will retain more color and vitamins and
the vinegar will eliminate any unpleasant odors