Your Fav Vinegars - What Do You Always Have/Like/Use?

Cooking Discussions Cooking, Cookbooks, Ingredients
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Here we go again… (c; Like oils, I try to keep as few on hand as possible, but my likes are…

Heinz Distilled - Used alot, mostly with sugars and citrus in asian dishes and sauces, plus my fav Chinese chicken salad.

Colavita Prosseco Wine - Dressings and sauces where I want a bit more sparkle, sweetness, and complexity.

Marukan Seasoned Rice Vinegar - Super versatile. Sauces and dressings where I want a tangier, deeper flavor. I’ll also use it as a replacement for sherry vinegar with a pinch of brown sugar. Sometimes will also mix it with the Colavita for a rice wine vinegar.

Star Red Wine - always a fav for vinaigrettes.

Others I like but rarely have on hand…

Apple Cider - I like it, but rarely have it on hand, and replicate it with Colavita vinegar, with a sweetener and/or some fresh or dried apple in the Vitamix.

And then there are the ones I never use…

Balsamic - never been a fan. I think vinegar should have that “sharpness” that most balsamics seem to lack, and I can preserve that by using other vinegars with sweeteners like maple syrup or agave and/or fruits and zests.

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Red & white wine vinegar

Balsamic (it’s there in the cupboard but used very rarely)

Cider vinegar (usually organic)

Malt vinegar - the most used in this house. It’s what I need when making pickles or chutneys. And nothing else will do on chips.

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Good lord I forgot that!!! Don’t usually have it on hand, but when I plan to do F&C I’ll usually pick up a good small bottle (but need to order online as the local Safeway doesn’t have a good one).

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In regular rotation for dressings, vinaigrettes or marinades: white balsamic, white wine, red wine, apple cider, sherry.

I own balsamic, but very rarely use it – sometimes in place of sugar for tomato sauce, as part of a steak marinade, or in combo with soy sauce for a salad dressing.

Apple vinegar from the Turkish store for when I want something extra tart.

Rice vinegar for Asian applications.

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I’m OK with supermarket own label to go on the F & C but, for pickles and chutneys, I’d usually get Sarsons which is our premium brand. It’s a matter of making sure the acetic acid level is at a good % (usually 6% but can be lower in cheaper products)

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Just a transatlantic naming query, please.

I notice North Americans refer to “apple cider” vinegar, but, the UK, we just call it “cider” vinegar. Do you have another cider vinegar that requires the extra definition of “apple”. Reason for asking is that,here, “cider” always refers to an apple product so no need to further define.

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Not that I am aware of.

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It is available here at Amazon and Walmart, but I just discovered the “London Pub” brand at my local Safeway is actually a Reese brand (one that I have been universally pleased with on many other items). So next time I’ll give it a try.

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FWIW, this is the apple vinegar from the Turkish store. I don’t currently have any apple cider vinegar from the reg’lar ole 'murrcan supermarket, but I’d be curious to know whether there is a difference.

This Turkish product seems fruitier and tarter to me, but I suppose I’d really have to do a side-by-side taste test to truly tell.

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Everything I see here lists ingredients as “Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Water, Diluted to 5% Acidity”, so I guess we’d need to compare nutritionals for more info.

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This Turkish bottle reads: apple vinegar, preservative, acidity degree: 5-6%, contains sulfite.

Hmmm.

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Hmmm, indeed!

Why would a vinegar need either preservative or sulfites?

Edit: Guessing those were in the apples before they made the vinegar with them. Not good.

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Oh boy… Now you really see my nutty side.

I have the Costco sized jug of the Heinz white vinegar in the house, because I also use that for cleaning. If I need a bit for some quick pickles, I might use that too.

Organic Rice Vinegar - goes into a lot of Asian dishes, sushi, dressing, etc. One of the most used.

Sherry vinegar - only for gazpacho

Red Wine vinegar - lots of dressing, sauces and marinades. Use this a lot for chmichurri sauce.

White balsamic vinegar is also for dressings and marinades.

Moderna Balsamic - dressing and marinades primarily. Also to toss some veggies for roasting.

Apple Cider - my go to if I need a bit sweet tangy. Use this more when I’m in my drinking shrub making mood

Zhenjiang black vinegar - dumpling dipping sauces, Chinese soups and marinades, lots of uses!

Fig/champagne/raspberry/pomegranate - some were part of oil and vinegar gift sets, but I do use them on occasion for specific dishes or sauces. Again, more salad dressing.

Coconut vinegar - bought this when I was going to try a Filipino roast pork dish. That got side tracked.

Malt vinegar - only bought this about two months ago. Was going to try another dish and got side tracked.

I also occasionally use the Chinese red vinegar for soups. Haven’t needed a new bottle recently.

Yeah, I like tart things so I like trying a lot of vinegars.

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I have the bottom half of a cabinet that contains nothing but various vinegars. What I don’t have are-
Black vinegar (I’ll get some soon, always talk myself out of it)
Sherry vinegar- don’t care for the taste
White balsamic
Coconut vinegar- used it up, haven’t restocked
Linguafood’s apple vinegar
Pineapple vinegar- I keep trying to make my own but it never works and stubbornness is keeping me from buying some

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Brown Rice Black Vinegar - I love this so much. I have Gold Plum Chinkiang vinegar as well. I like the first one better. Uses are for condiment and dipping sauces, primarily.

Standard unseasoned rice vinegar - dressings, stir fry sauces, sushi rice

Sherry vinegar - dressings mostly

Cider vinegar - Also I’m from Boston, but I’m in Harter’s camp: I only have ever called this cider vinegar. I use mostly for salads, but also for spiking the water for poached eggs. This is also my go to if I taste a stew or braise and feel it needs a little acid to balance it.

White vinegar - wherever called for, also, cleaning

Coconut vinegar and Cane vinegar - adobo, some marinades

Malt vinegar - Fries/chips. Also, many of the recipes in my Kylie Kwong cookbooks specify its use, so, I have it on hand.

Red vinegar - Salads, pickled onions/escabeches

I think that’s all of them…

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I don’t think I’ve ever tasted cane vinegar, must get some…

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I always have:

Rice Vinegar (Unseasoned)
Red Wine Vinegar
White Wine Vinegar or Champagne Vinegar
Sherry Vinegar
Cider Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar (although I rarely use it)
Malt Vinegar

I’m fond on Banyuls vinegar, but it’s expensive so I don’t always have it on hand.

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I’ve had a few dishes when dining out using a pear cider vinegar. A little less assertive than most apple cider vinegar I’ve had. The pickled plum caramel was devine

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Chinese rice
White distilled (Korean food uses this a lot.)
Red wine
Champagne
Commercial balsamico
Several good balsamici (Carandini and Villa Manodori)
Japanese seasoned rice vinegar
Japanese rice vinegar
Chinese black vinegar

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Rice Vinegar - for making sushi rice.
Apple Cider Vinegar - Various dishes
Red Wine Vinegar - mainly salads
White Vinegar - I have one dump cake recipe that calls for white vinegar & baking soda. I also use it for cleaning my tankless hot water heater.