Healthy vinegar influenced snacks?

October 1, 2009 4:43 AM

I love the taste of vinegar - primarily in Salt and Vinegar Chips (or crisps), vinegar on hot potato chips, vinegar on hot rice, and balsamic vinegar peanuts. However none of these are all that healthy (well maybe the rice option isn't too bad). Can anyone recommend healthy vinegar influences snacks?
posted by Admira to food & drink (46 comments total)

My daughter loves Sakata Rice Crackers in the vinegar version. This website gives you the nutritional information so you can decide if it's healthy.
posted by b33j at 4:45 AM on October 1

salad with a balsamic dressing?
posted by tybeet at 4:46 AM on October 1

Steamed dumplings with vinegar?


hungry........
posted by molecicco at 4:57 AM on October 1

I do go for the salad but its not really what I classify as a snack ... more something I have with fish or a meal.

I do love balsamic dressing though :)
posted by Admira at 5:00 AM on October 1

Pickles? my family makes an easy refrigerator pickle (we call slicers). slice a smallish cucumber thinly, and add vinegar to cover, then add an equal volume of sugar. optionally, add some onion. refrigerate for at least a couple hours before eating. plain white vinegar and cider vinegar work well. balsamic vinegar tastes ok, but turns everything brown.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 5:02 AM on October 1 [5 favorites]

Pickle sushi? My neighbour made it and I was surprised by how good it was.
posted by bonobothegreat at 5:03 AM on October 1

You can pickle all sorts of veggies.
posted by amro at 5:04 AM on October 1

Pickles.
posted by plinth at 5:07 AM on October 1

Carrot sticks with vinaigrette.

I believe that "French fries" with vinegar have been enjoyed by some people.
posted by amtho at 5:13 AM on October 1

Ahhh yes hot chips = french fries. Its amazing the cultural and regional variations of the word "chips" in the English language.

Pickles, for some reason, never crossed my mind. Thanks to all for that but keen for as many suggestions as possible.

I can quit vinegar any time I like.

Really.
posted by Admira at 5:16 AM on October 1

There is this restaurant in Cleveland called Crop that offers AMAZING balsamic vinegar popcorn. I've tried it at home a few times and am getting closer, but no cigar yet. Air popped popcorn (I throw kernels in a brown paper bag and pop them in the microwave), balsamic vinegar, some thinly sliced roasted red peppers, salt, a little bit of olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and some garlic salt. I'm still working on the proportions.
posted by cachondeo45 at 5:27 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]

If you are really hardcore, have pickled red cabbage. Drink the brine. It is the sourest.

Pickled eggs!

Pickled herring!
posted by molecicco at 5:28 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]

Tomato & Basil Salad with Oregano, Rosemary

Add Balsamic Vinegar and light oil.

Add Fresh Mozz if you're so inclined.
posted by Aegean at 5:35 AM on October 1

Cucumbers in vinegar.
posted by fire&wings at 5:41 AM on October 1

Put chunks of raw beet, raw carrot, dill, a splash of sesame oil and lots of your fave vinegar into the food processor. Grate up into a fine slaw, spread it on crackers with a bit of goat cheese underneath if you want. This snack will give you superpowers. (I am not a superhero and I cannot give superhero advice.)
posted by keener_sounds at 5:47 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]

I'm also crazy about vinegar. Other than the obvious uses with vegetables and fish & chips, use it where you would have used another condiment. On sandwiches, for example. That doesn't magically make these things healthy, but it makes them better for you than they would have been if you'd gone the typical ketchup & mayonnaise route.
posted by pracowity at 6:07 AM on October 1

I marinate some red onions in red wine vinegar and then use them for a variety of different things, but mostly fish tacos.
posted by backwards guitar at 6:11 AM on October 1

Refrigerator pickles are super easy and don't require canning or anything. They don't keep long, but you'll plow through them FAST. It's the only way I can make it through the massive quantities of radishes we get in our CSA. I use them in almost everything during the summer (salads, on burgers/hotdogs, tossed into stir fry, etc).

You can also make pickles with a brine solution rather than vinegar and let them ferment, which is awesome and always feels like black magic. That's how kosher pickles are made. You're basically

Wow, do I want pickles now.

Oh, and a vinegar based potato salad with a bit of bacon? GODDAMN that's good.

A vinegar based (not tomato) BBQ sauce with lots of cayenne is dead simple and goes well with pretty much anything snack-y. I'm a fan of the one you'll find if you google "elder ward brisket naked whiz"

A super vinegary salsa is also nice.

Pretty much anything fatty or starchy benefits from that nice acidic punch. You could probably dip a chocolate croissant in good sweet balsamic vinegar and it'd taste just right. Most sweet fruit goes super well with good balsamic.

Also, almost anything with lemon or lime in it can be made with vinegar instead (bearing in mind that all types of vinegar have different pH). Different acids, yes, but whatever.
posted by paanta at 6:26 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]

Soy sauce + rice vinegar + chopped scallions = instant dipping sauce for dumplings, potstickers, etc. And you can make a really good stir fry sauce with that base, just add a little garlic and maybe some dried chiles and thicken with cornstarch.

You can also make a pan sauce with vinegar as a base. I tend to go for cider or balsamic vinegar. After you have cooked dinner in your pan, deglaze it with the vinegar and add some garlic and herbs to taste (a healthy splash of vermouth is a good addition, as well). Let it reduce and then pour over your food.
posted by backseatpilot at 6:30 AM on October 1

There are a whole lot of pickles in Asian cuisines which are briefly (2-24 hours) marinated in all sorts of things. I regularly make hot cucumber pickles in a 2:2:1 solution of water:soy sauce:rice vinegar with a little sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Slice the cucumbers thinly, mix up the brine using cups as units for 2 medium-sized cucumbers. Let them sit for a day, start eating. They will last about a week and are crispy most of the way through. I have also pickled turnip in ume vinegar, and that was pretty good, as well as doing a couple of different daikon recipes. You could mess with the ratios to get more sourness.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:30 AM on October 1 [3 favorites]

strawberries are delicious in balsamic and black pepper. last night i froze a bowl of fig, yogurt, and balsamic puree and it was amazing.

peeled and thinly sliced cucumbers are, as others have noted, great soaked in vinegar. at my house we use rice vinegar and maybe a tiny bit of sugar. eat a bowl of it plain or mix it with other stuff (for example: potato salad).
posted by acidic at 6:36 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]

Tabasco!
posted by ElmerFishpaw at 6:40 AM on October 1

ooh, also, if you haven't discovered this already: balsamic glaze. it's just a stickier, sweeter, thicker, more concentrated version of balsamic, but it's really useful when you don't want all of the liquid of the vinegar. i have seen it for sale at trader joes, or you can make it yourself by reducing two cups of balsamic (and maybe some sugar) to about .5 cups glaze.
posted by acidic at 6:53 AM on October 1

Not really a "snack" as such, but try pizza dipped in balsamic vinegar. ( hot pepper flakes and parmesan cheese really complete the dish, btw).
posted by horsemuth at 6:56 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]

Balsamic is delicious on everything. Balsamic on strawberries, balsamic on tomatoes, balsamic on chicken. Dip bread or crackers in it. For more inspiration, Iron Chef America has a Battle Balsamic episode with some GREAT-sounding dishes.
posted by specialagentwebb at 7:07 AM on October 1

For dry foods to which you don't want to put liquid vinegar, you can buy Salt & Vinegar Seasoning powder, e.g. here and here.
posted by Ery at 7:17 AM on October 1

oh! thinly sliced onions and cucumbers in vinager are the best. I also like drizzeling it on my cold cut sub sandwiches. Its good on cooked greens. In potato salad and in cole slaw (with some sugar in the slaw) is good.
posted by meeshell at 7:51 AM on October 1

I almost forgot, my favorite fix for things too spicy is to sprinkle it with vinager, it cuts the heat.
posted by meeshell at 7:52 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]

When I have lots of cucumbers, I make A Jad, a Thai relish/side/salad. Rice vinegar goodness!
posted by MonkeyToes at 8:14 AM on October 1

kimchi <3
posted by Stewriffic at 9:13 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]

If you're feeling lazy and just want something straight off the shelf...

Giardeniera

Pickled mushrooms
posted by orme at 10:25 AM on October 1

OMG vinegar on steamed or sauted spinach is to die for.
posted by frecklefaerie at 10:34 AM on October 1

Grapes marinated in olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, fresh rosemary and garlic. Sounds weird but HOLY GODS THEY ARE DELICIOUS. Let them marinate for several hours.
posted by np312 at 10:46 AM on October 1

I put vinegar in my tuna mayonnaise sandwiches -- it adds a nice kick. Don't add too much mayo, though.

We also steam collard greens or Swiss chard in raspberry vinegar or just plain old malt vinegar.

Also, hot and sour soup from your favorite local Chinese restaurant -- lots of vinegar in that if you're lucky. (Or you could add more, which I like to do.)
posted by vickyverky at 10:51 AM on October 1

Baked sweet potato chips with a dribble of apple cider vinegar.
posted by ZaneJ. at 11:39 AM on October 1

You might try the national dish of the Phillipines, Adobo (chicken or pork). It is made with vinegar because, so I've been told, refrigeration was very rare in the islands, and the high vinegar content means that adobo will last a long time.

It is VERY easy to make in a crock pot. Like a lot of sauce-based recipes, better if made the day before.

I know it doesn't sound like a snack, but it's good cold and because it will last a long time, can easily be packed in tupperware or even wrapped in tin foil.

Also, an optional step, but makes it aweseome: AFTER the meat is done simmering, that's when you take it out of the pot and saute it.

Good recipe and variations here.

- AJ
posted by Alaska Jack at 12:09 PM on October 1

I love this recipe for Vietnamese pickled carrots & radish. In theory, it's a condiment, but I often eat it plain. I always double or triple the recipe, and you can adjust proportions to taste.

I also love quick cucumber pickles/ cucumber salad, made with vinegar, sugar, and salt - I generally adjust to taste, and don't have a recipe. And here is another good carrot pickle recipe.
posted by insectosaurus at 12:23 PM on October 1

I also love vinegar and my favorite healthy snack is pickled okra.
posted by bradbane at 12:33 PM on October 1

You have not lived until you've had pickled asparagus. I buy mine out of a jar (make sure you get the crispy kind). YUM!!
posted by Kimberly at 12:54 PM on October 1

Mix some apple cider vinegar with sugar; pour over sliced bell peppers and eat out of hand. Addictive, delicious!
posted by aquafortis at 1:43 PM on October 1

The foods you're describing, especially vinegar & salt chips, are really salty, as well as vinegar-y. Salt's not very good for you, but I think you want both flavors. How about a nice sauerbrauten? For an easy, healthy snack, sliced cucumbers in a 60:40 mix of cider vinegar:water, with salt & pepper.
posted by theora55 at 5:53 PM on October 1

Edamame tossed in red wine vinegar and sea salt. Mmmmm.
posted by lunaazul at 8:30 PM on October 1

Before it started disagreeing with my sensitive-to-acidic-stuff stomach, I used to love sliced English cucumbers and/or grape tomatoes in vinegar. They were just sliced in a little cup of vinegar with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper. It would probably kill me now, but, at the time, it was delicious.
posted by Mael Oui at 9:00 PM on October 1

Wow, I debated posting this for over a week thinking I was crazy and no-one would share my vinegar obsession. So many good suggestions, I'm not sure how I can mark all as favourites, but I really appreciate all the feedback.

I'm already trying a few of them :)
posted by Admira at 10:16 PM on October 1

I like bubble and squeak dressed with vinegar.
posted by kmennie at 12:16 AM on October 2

I second the pickled eggs.
posted by Robot Johnny at 8:51 PM on October 4