Carolyn Bell, RDN, CSSD
Red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, apple-cider vinegar, and Balsamic vinegar – how to choose which vinegar to use? Use this guide to help you navigate the vinegar aisle of Market Basket:
- Red wine vinegar – made from red wine – is good for foods with deeper flavors such as beef, pork, and vegetables
- White wine vinegar – made from white wine – good for lighter flavors such as chicken and fish
- Apple-cider vinegar – made from apples, pressed to make juice, then cider and aged to ferment into vinegar. This vinegar is somewhat mild; good for salad dressings and marinades
- Rice vinegar – made from fermented rice – very mild; often used in Asian recipes – good for lighter flavors.
- Balsamic vinegar – made from the ‘must’ (juice pressed from grapes before fermenting) -the dark, balsamic vinegars are aged for a longer period of time than most vinegars, and are typically more expensive because of this process. Less aged (non-traditional balsamic vinegars) are used for salads and marinades, and those longer aged (become sweeter and thicker) are good in recipes and paired with cheeses.
When deciding which vinegar to purchase, consider its purpose and use this information as a general guide to help you choose. Stay tuned next week to learn more about vinegar varieties available in the grocery store.
