Kitchen Basics with Vinegar
Condiments: When getting to the bottom of a ketchup bottle, add a little vinegar and swish it around to make the ketchup stretch further. This technique will work for other condiments as well. Try vinegar instead of ketchup with french fries--that´s how the British like to eat them. Either one is also great on fish or any fried or broiled meat.
Give some extra zest to your white sauce by adding 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar
To make basic vinaigrette salad dressing use 1 part vinegar to 4 parts oil.
Make creamy vinaigrette by adding some plain or whipped cream to a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil.
Eggs: You can still hard-boil a cracked egg or to keep eggs from cracking, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the boiling water. The vinegar will prevent the egg white from running out. The vinegar is actually an important element in egg poaching. It causes the egg white to immediately turn white and begin cooking, and it speeds up the cooking process so the egg doesn't overcook. (1 tablespoon for every pint).
Fish and seafood: Add a tablespoon or more of vinegar when frying or boiling fish to reduce fishy tastes and smells and to keep the meat soft.
Give shrimp and fish a freshly caught taste by covering it in sherry and adding 2 tablespoons vinegar. Soak for 15 minutes, then prepare as desired.
To keep fish white, soak for 20 minutes in a mixture of 1 quart water and 2 tablespoons vinegar.
When making tuna salad, add a dash of vinegar.
Fruits and vegetables: When boiling or steaming cauliflower, beets or other vegetables, add a teaspoon or two of vinegar to the water to help them keep their color. This will also improve their taste, and reduce gassy elements. This also works when cooking beans and bean dishes. Freshen up wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water with a spoonful or two of vinegar.
To make the perfect picnic potato salad dressing combine 1 cup Wilderness Family Naturals´ mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon natural sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon natural salt.
When making mashed potatoes, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar once you've used enough milk. This will help keep potatoes white. Whip them to desired consistency.
Turn out great rice by adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the boiling water.
Make pasta less sticky and reduce some of its starch. Add just a dash of vinegar to the water as it cooks.
In a tomato sauce or a tomato-based soup, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar just before completing the cooking process. Flavors will be enhanced. Actually, you can perk up any can of soup or sauce with a teaspoon of vinegar.
Meat: Add zip to a pound of hamburger by adding vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon mustard. Work these ingredients into meat before making into patties. Tenderize meat with vinegar: Use it in marinades or when slow cooking any tough, inexpensive cuts of meat. For extra tenderness with boiling ribs or stew meat add a tablespoon of vinegar. To improve the flavor of boiled ham by adding 1 tablespoon vinegar to the cooking water.
Eliminate the greasy taste in food cooked in a deep fryer by adding a dash of vinegar.
Baking Soda: Use vinegar to determine if old baking soda is still good enough for baking. Pour 2 tablespoons vinegar in a small dish, and add 1 teaspoon baking soda. Good baking soda should make the vinegar froth significantly.
If you´ve added too much salt to a recipe, add a spoonful of vinegar and sugar to try correcting the taste.
Bread: Make the crust of homemade bread a nice, golden brown by removing it from the oven shortly before baking time is complete and brushing it with vinegar. Return to oven to finish baking. In addition, you can help homemade bread rise by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every 2 ½ cups of flour in the recipe. Reduce other liquids in recipe proportionately.
Keep molded gelatin desserts and salads from sagging or melting in the summer heat by adding a teaspoon of vinegar for each box of gelatin used.
Meringue: Make a fluffier meringue that is also more stable by adding vinegar to egg whites before beating. For every 3 to 4 egg whites in a recipe, add 1 teaspoon of vinegar.
Pies: Reduce the overly sweet flavor in fruit pies or other desserts by adding a teaspoon of vinegar.
Add moistness and taste to any chocolate cake-homemade or from a box-with a spoonful of vinegar. To keep frosting from sugaring add a drop of vinegar. It will also help keep white frosting white and shiny.
Vinegar for Pie Crusts?
Add one teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice as part of your liquid for each cup of flour in pastry and pie dough recipes. This won't affect the flavor but will inhibit gluten from forming into long strands making a more tender flaky pastry.
