Fermented Wine: The Secrets of Vinegar
[This is a blog in progress. I am culling from several places the most amazing vinegary tales of culinary and medicinal triumphs. More importantly, I'm on the road, and need to have custom pickled things with me - or sent to me from my food storage stash - for my own health and wellbeing.]
After Codex, all our secret medicinal remedies will be pass on in the Green Language with poetry.
- Jack and Jill went up the hill
- To fetch a pail of water.
- Jack fell down and broke his crown,
- And Jill came tumbling after.
- Up Jack got and home did trot
- As fast as he could caper;
- And went to bed and covered his head
- In vinegar and brown paper.
Job's Tears
In Japan, an aged vinegar is also made from Job's Tears; it is similar in flavor to rice vinegar.
[edit] Kombucha
Kombucha vinegar, also referred to as probiotic vinegar,[citation needed] is made from kombucha, a symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria. The bacteria produce a complex array of nutrients and populate the vinegar with symbiotic bacteria which some claim promote a heathy digestive tract, though no scientific studies have shown this to date. Kombucha vinegar is primarily used to make a vinaigrette and flavored by adding strawberries, blackberries, mint, or blueberries at the beginning of fermentation.
This is the well-known "fizzing" reaction between baking soda and vinegar. 84 grams of sodium bicarbonate react with 750 g of 8% vinegar to make 82 g sodium acetate in water. By subsequently boiling off most of the water, one can refine either a concentrated solution of sodium acetate or actual crystals.
Most meals start with onions, ginger and garlic. In this the fermentation month, I thought to pickle these favorites, plus the peck s of peppers that I never seem to finish.
However a big caveat:
"Pickled peppers and mixed vegetable-pepper home-canned products are commonly prepared by many households. These products also have been implicated in botulism deaths due to the use of untested recipes, under-acidified products, addition of too much oil, or lack of processing."
So we're not canning.
GINGER:
Uncle Phaed of course, gave us this recipe for pickled ginger.
A great way to keep ginger is to put whole roots in a jar and cover with dry sherry. Ginger will keep indefinitely this way. Just slice off as needed. Be sure the sherry continues to cover the ginger.
Pickled Ginger
1/2 cup fresh ginger -- sliced paper thin
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Stir all ingredients together in non-reactive stainless steel pan or glass
saucepan and bring to a boil.
Let mixture cool to room temperature and chill overnight. (Pickled ginger
keeps for several months in the refrigerator.)
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Pickled Ginger
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound fresh ginger root
Combine sugar, vinegar (use ONLY rice vinegar) and water in 1-pint jar
with tight-fitting lid.
Peel ginger then cut it into long, PAPER-THIN slices using a swivel-bladed
vegetable peeler.
Place the slices in the pickling liquid. Refrigerate at least 2 to 3 weeks
before using.
Yield: 1 pint. If kept submerged in the liquid, this will keep indefinitely
in the refrigerator.
PICKLED HOT PEPPERS
chili and jalapeno
Chile peppers are usually preserved in salt and vinegar. Adding sugar or honey produces a more mellow tasting pickle. Adding spices gives additional flavour.
Salt a: Used to extract moisture from some vegetables, which would otherwise dilute the vinegar and cause the pickle to ferment, and the vegetables to toughen. Use cooking salt rather than table salt; the latter contains a higher iodine content which can discolour the vegetables (it makes them darker).
Salt b. Use noniodized canning or pickling salt. Noncaking materials added to table salt may make the solution cloudy.Vinegar a: Use bottled vinegar's (malt, distilled, wine, cider, spiced etc); draught vinegar's are not strong enough. White distilled or cider vinegar's of 5 percent acidity (50 grain) are recommended. Use cold vinegar for crisp vegetables and boiling vinegar for softer ones. The vinegar should cover the vegetables by at least an inch (2.5cm). For a home-made spiced vinegar, boil 1oz (25g) of mixed pickling spice in 1 pint (600ml) of vinegar for 5 minutes. Strain when cold.
Vinegar b. Use a high grade cider or white distilled vinegar of 5 percent acidity (50 grain). White vinegar may be preferred with light-colored peppers or vegetables to retain color or if clear liquid is desired. Do not use vinegars of unknown acidity. For a less acidic flavor, add a small amount of sugar. This offsets the sharp acid flavor without affecting the pH or acidity of a product.
Caution: The acidity in a pickled product is as important to its safety as it is for taste and texture. There must be a minimum, uniform amount of acid throughout the mixed product to prevent growth of botulinum bacteria. Use only recipes with tested proportions of ingredients. Do not alter vinegar/water proportions in the recipe.
Spices: Use whole spices, powdered ones will make the vinegar cloudy. Mixed pickling spice consists of equal amounts of stick cinnamon, allspice berries, cloves, mace and peppercorns. Extras can include root ginger, celery seeds
Pre-cooking: Some recipes require the chile peppers to be blanched before pickling, some don't.
Pans: Use un-chipped enamel, aluminum or stainless steel pans. Copper, brass and iron pans will react with the vinegar, giving an off taste.
Sealing: Jars must be sterilised and well sealed. Metal lids will corrode on contact with the vinegar. Kilner jars, with their rubber sealing rings, are recommended.
Maturing: A minimum of 2 to 4 weeks maturing time is recommended. Crisp pickles will tend to soften after about 3 months.
Quick Facts...
- Use only fresh, blemish-free vegetables and up-to-date, research-based recipes when pickling peppers and pepper blends.
- Use pure, granulated, non-iodized canning or pickling salt, high grade vinegar of 5 percent acidity, and fresh spices.
- Process pickled peppers in a boiling water bath for the altitude-adjusted length of time specified in a tested recipe.
- For oil peppers, use only fresh vegetable oil in the amounts specified in tested recipes.
- Additional processing time and head space are needed to preserve pickled peppers in oil.
Pickled peppers and mixed vegetable-pepper home-canned products are commonly prepared by many Colorado households. These products also have been implicated in botulism deaths due to the use of untested recipes, under-acidified products, addition of too much oil, or lack of processing.
4 pounds hot, long red, green or yellow peppers
3 pounds sweet red and green peppers, mixed
5 cups vinegar (5 percent acidity)
1 cup water
4 teaspoons canning or pickling salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cloves garlic
Yield: About 9 pints Procedure:
Wash peppers. If small peppers are left whole, slash two to four slits in each; quarter large peppers.
Blanch in boiling water or blister in order to peel.
Flatten small peppers.
Fill jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Combine and heat other ingredients to boiling and simmer 10 minutes.
Remove garlic.
Add hot pickling solution over peppers, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Adjust lids and process pints or half-pints for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Garlic Pickled Chile Peppers
- 500g (1 lb) Cayenne peppers
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3 cloves of garlic cut in halves
- 900ml (1 1/2 pints) vinegar (garlic vinegar if available)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 8 peppercorns
Wash the peppers and place into hot sterilized jars. Mix the allspice with the celery and mustard seeds. Pack into the jars. Add the garlic. Place the vinegar, sugar and peppercorns into pan and bring to the boil. Pour over the peppers and seal the jars. Makes about 1.5kg (3 lb)
Fresh Pickled Jalapenos
Using fresh Jalapenos peppers, blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water. To prevent collapsing, puncture each pepper with a needle. Add the following ingredients to a pint jar packed with the blanched peppers before cooling occurs:
- 1/4 medium sized Garlic clove
- 1/4 teaspoon of onion flakes
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1/8 teaspoon ground Oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon Thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon Marjoram
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Cover with boiling brine solution prepared as follows: mix together;
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 9 tablespoons salt
- 2 pints water
- 2 pints 5% vinegar
Close containers and process for 10 minutes in boiling water, then cool. Note that the jalapenos must be hot when brine solution is added.
Easy Pickled Peppers
- 1 - 1 1/2 lb. fresh hot peppers (any kind you like)
- 1 good sized handful of cayenne peppers (optional - adds color to mix)
- 1 lb package of peeled baby carrots
- 1 or 2 heads garlic - peel and separate cloves
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup black peppercorns
- 1/4 cup whole coriander seeds
- White vinegar to cover
Put the carrots on to boil in the vinegar. Stab each pepper with a paring knife. After the carrots have cooked for about 10 minutes, add everything else to the pot. Simmer 5 (crisp) to 15 (soft) minutes depending on your taste. Pour mixture into old mayonnaise jars or what ever else large glass jars you have on hand that have a cover. Cover (not too tight) and let cool for an hour or so. Then refrigerate. You can eat these right away but if you way for a few days the vegetables (carrots and garlic) will get hotter.
Peppers. A variety of peppers work well for home canning. Common varieties are Cubanelle, Hungarian, yellow wax, sweet cherry, sweet banana and sweet bells. Thick-fleshed peppers with firm waxy skins and bright, glossy color, free from defects, give the best pickled products. Avoid peppers that are soft, shriveled or pliable, and dull or faded in color. As with all pickled products, the shortest time from pick to pack offers the highest quality pickled product.
Cut large peppers (Cubanella or bells) into jar-size pieces. Remove seeds and white inner core. Smaller varieties may be packed whole but must be slit to allow the vinegar solution to enter the hollow portion of the pepper. Make two small slits through the flesh of each whole pepper.
Pickling Chili Peppers | ||
Chile peppers are usually preserved in salt and vinegar. Adding sugar or honey produces a more mellow tasting pickle. Adding spices gives additional flavour.
Garlic Pickled Chile Peppers
Wash the peppers and place into hot sterilized jars. Mix the allspice with the celery and mustard seeds. Pack into the jars. Add the garlic. Place the vinegar, sugar and peppercorns into pan and bring to the boil. Pour over the peppers and seal the jars. Makes about 1.5kg (3 lb) Fresh Pickled JalapenosUsing fresh Jalapenos peppers, blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water. To prevent collapsing, puncture each pepper with a needle. Add the following ingredients to a pint jar packed with the blanched peppers before cooling occurs:
Cover with boiling brine solution prepared as follows: mix together;
Close containers and process for 10 minutes in boiling water, then cool. Note that the jalapenos must be hot when brine solution is added. Easy Pickled Peppers
Put the carrots on to boil in the vinegar. Stab each pepper with a paring knife. After the carrots have cooked for about 10 minutes, add everything else to the pot. Simmer 5 (crisp) to 15 (soft) minutes depending on your taste. Pour mixture into old mayonnaise jars or what ever else large glass jars you have on hand that have a cover. Cover (not too tight) and let cool for an hour or so. Then refrigerate. You can eat these right away but if you way for a few days the vegetables (carrots and garlic) will get hotter. Grandma's Pickled Banana peppersRecipe By : Jerry Ziehm
Place peppers, salt, oil in jars, pour hot brine to the top of jar, seal jars, water bath for about 5 min. Pickled JalapenosRecipe By : Pacific Northwest Extension Bulletin
Wash peppers. If small peppers are left whole, slash 2-5 slits in each. Quarter large peppers. Blanch in boiling water. Flatten small peppers. Fill half-pint or pint jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Combine and heat other ingredients to boiling and simmer 10 minutes. Remove garlic. Pour hot pickling solution over peppers leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust lids. Use conventional boiling water canner processing. Process for 10 minutes at below 1000 feet, 15 minutes at 1001 to 6000 feet and 20 minutes above 6000 feet. Pickled ChilesRecipe By : The Goodness of Peppers by John Midgley (Pavilion Books Unlimited, London).
Inspect the chiles for damage, discarding any that are bruised, lacerated or otherwise blemished. Snip off all but the base of their stems. Bring the vinegar and the chiles to a boil in a pan. Add the remaining ingredients except the extra vinegar and simmer for 6-8 minutes. With a clean spoon, transfer them to a jar previously sterilized with freshly boiled water. Pour in the pickling liquid with its herbs, top up with the additional vinegar to cover and allow to cool before sealing. The chiles will be ready within a month. This quantity will fill a medium-sized jar with whole chiles, preserved with herbs and garlic and up to 675ml /1 1/2 pints /3 cups of vinegar. Increase the vinegar quantity and dilute it with a little water if you want to preserve a larger quantity of chiles, or sweet red and yellow peppers, which should first have their caps, seeds and pithy membranes removed. | ||
Garlic. If desired for flavor, use mature, fully-dried, white-skinned garlic, free of blemishes. Garlic contains a water-soluble pigment that may turn blue or purple. A blue-green color may develop in pickles made with stored red-skinned garlic. Immature garlic, garlic that is not fully dry, or red-skinned varieties may turn blue, purple or blue-green. Except in the case of a bright blue-green color resulting from abnormally high concentrations of copper-sulfate, such color changes do not indicate the presence of harmful substances.
Marinated Refrigerated Peppers
Remember, all pickled pepper products stored at room temperature must be processed, to avoid the risk of botulism toxin development during storage. The boiling water bath processing step can be omitted if pickles are stored in the refrigerator. Use the following procedure.
Wash peppers. Small peppers may be left whole with two small slits in each pepper. Core and cut large peppers into strips.
Sterilize jars, lids and screwbands. Pack peppers tightly into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
For each 6 cups of brine, combine 5 cups vinegar, 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon pickling salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer five minutes.
Pour vinegar solution over peppers, leaving 1/8-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust headspace so that brine covers all peppers. Wipe rims.
Place sterilized flats on jars. Do not put on screwbands. Allow jars to cool. Put on screwbands and wipe jars. Refrigerate six to eight weeks for the pickled flavor to fully develop. Keep refrigerated and use within six months. This pepper product allows the peppers to marinate in a high acid solution, at a cold temperature, and in the presence of air. These conditions are not favorable for botulism toxin formation. It does not ensure against other types of spoilage.
Salsa
Most salsa recipes are a mixture of low-acid foods, such as onions and peppers, and acid foods, such as tomatoes. Use tested recipes to ensure proper acidification.
Use the amounts of each vegetable listed in the recipe. If desired, green tomatoes or tomatillos may be substituted for part or all of the tomatoes. Add the amount of vinegar listed. If desired, you may safely substitute an equal amount of lemon juice for vinegar in a recipe using vinegar. However, do not substitute vinegar for lemon juice. This substitution will result in a less acid and potentially unsafe salsa.
Spices do not affect acidity or safety and may be adjusted as desired. Do not thicken salsas with flour or cornstarch before canning. After you open a jar to use, you may pour off some of the liquid or thicken with cornstarch.
Chili Salsa
- 12 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes (choose a meaty variety or
- squeeze out extra juice)
- 6 cups seeded, chopped chili peppers*
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
- 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
*Use mixture of hot and mild peppers to suit taste.
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 pints
Procedure: Combine ingredients in large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot into clean pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water bath.
| Table 4: Recommended process time for chili salsa in a boiling water canner. | ||
| Style of pack/Jar size | Process time at altitudes of: | |
|---|---|---|
| 6,000 ft or less | Above 6,000 ft | |
| Hot: Half-pints or pints | 20 min. | 25 min. |
*Tomato Salsa (Using Paste Tomatoes)
Note: Paste tomatoes, such as Roma, are recommended for salsa because they have firmer flesh and produce thicker products. Slicing tomatoes will require a much longer cooking time to achieve a desirable consistency.
- 7 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes
- 5 cups seeded, chopped long green chilies
- 4 cups finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup seeded, finely chopped Jalapeno peppers
- 6-12 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups bottled lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin*
- 3 tablespoons oregano leaves*
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro*
*Optional; use only for desired flavor
Yield: Makes 13 pints
Procedure: Combine all ingredients except cumin, oregano and cilantro in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add spices, if desired, and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot into clean pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Add pretreated lids and process in a boiling water bath canner.
*Source: Salsa Recipes for Canning; PNW395, a Pacific Northwest Extension Publication. Washington, Oregon, Idaho.
| Table 5: Recommended process time for tomato salsa in a boiling water canner. | ||
| Style of pack/Jar size | Process time at altitudes of: | |
|---|---|---|
| 6,000 ft or less | Above 6,000 ft | |
| Hot: Half-pints or pints | 20 min. | 25 min. |
Veterinary treatment
Pest fighter:A teaspoon of white distilled vinegar for each quart bowl of drinking water helps keep your pet free of fleas and ticks. The ratio of one teaspoon to one quart is for a forty-pound animal.
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. A mixture of five-percent acetic acid and three-percent hydrogen peroxide is commonly used.[citation needed]Apple cider vinegar in particular is often touted as a medical aid, from cancer prevention to alleviation of joint pain to weight loss.[20] Claims of its benefits go back at least to Hippocrates. In 1958, D. C. Jarvis made the remedy popular with a bestseller that has sold over one million copies.
Diet control
Multiple trials indicate that taking vinegar with food increases satiety (the feeling of fullness) and so reduces the amount of food consumed.[13][14] Even a single application of vinegar can lead to reduced food intake for a whole day.[15]
Cholesterol
A scientific study published in 2006 concluded that a test group of rats fed with acetic acid (the main component of vinegar) had "significantly lower values for serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols", among other health benefits. [7]
[edit] Blood glucose control and diabetic management
Small amounts of vinegar (approx. 20 mls or two tablespoons of domestic vinegar) added to food, or taken along with a meal, have been shown by a number of medical trials to reduce the glycemic index of carbohydrate food for people with and without diabetes.[8][9][10] This has also been expressed as lower glycemic index ratings in the region of 30%.[11][12]
Food Preparation
Getting the last drops:
When you can’t get the last bit of mayonnaise or salad dressing out of the jar, try dribbling a little of your favorite vinegar into it, put the cap on tightly and shake well. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ve been wasting.
Cooking fish:
Try soaking fish in vinegar and water before cooking it. It will be sweeter, more tender and hold its shape better. When boiling or poaching fish, a tablespoon of vinegar added to the water will keep it from crumbling so easily.
Cake icing:
Cake icing can be prevented from becoming sugary if a little vinegar is added to the ingredients before cooking. The same is true when making homemade candy.
Boiling eggs:
When boiling an egg and it’s cracked, a little vinegar in the water will keep the white from running out.
Keeping potatoes white:
A teaspoon of white distilled or cider vinegar added to the water in which you boil potatoes will keep them nice and white. You can keep peeled potatoes from turning dark by covering them with water and adding 2 teaspoons of vinegar.
Freshen vegetables:
Freshen up slightly wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water and vinegar.
Fruit and vegetable wash:
Add 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar to 1 pint water and use to wash fresh fruits and vegetables, then rinse thoroughly. Research has shown that vinegar helps kill bacteria on fruits and vegetables.
Frying doughnuts:
Before frying doughnuts, add ½ teaspoon of vinegar to hot oil to prevent doughnuts soaking up extra grease. Use caution when adding the vinegar to the hot oil.
Flavor booster:
Perk up a can of soup, gravy or sauce with a teaspoon of your favorite specialty vinegar. It adds flavor and taster fresher.
Meat tenderizer:
As a tenderizer for tough meat or game, make a marinade in the proportion of half a cup of your favorite vinegar to a cup of heated liquid, such as bouillon; or for steak, you may prefer to a mix of vinegar and oil, rubbed in well and allowed to stand for two hours.
Fruit stains:
Remove fruit or berry stains from your hands by cleaning them with vinegar.
Fresh lunch box:
It is easy to take out the heavy stale smell often found in lunch boxes. Dampen a piece of fresh bread with white distilled vinegar and leave it in the lunch box overnight.
Get rid of cooking smells:
Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution.
Fluffy Egg Whites
Soak a paper towel with 1-2 Tablespoons of white distilled vinegar. Wipe mixing bowl and beaters or whisk with the vinegar-soaked paper towel, then dry with a cloth or paper towel prior to whipping egg whites.
Fluffier Rice
For fluffier and great tasting rice, add a teaspoon of white distilled vinegar to the boiling water before adding rice. Rice will be easier to spoon and less sticky.
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