Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with vinegar

Healthy vinegar influenced snacks?

Admira — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:43:04 -0800

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?

Green Glass Bottles

gimonca — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:32:22 -0800

Where can I buy glass bottles with corks? Prefer to buy in person, Twin Cities area. Years ago, I used to buy them at Pier One. More recently, when they were still in the area, I'd buy them at World Market. You know the kind: cheapish green glass bottles, from Spain or maybe Italy, sold with corks in 'em, roughly pint size up to soft-drink bottle size. Like to get more soon for making infused vinegar.

Other stoppers acceptable as long as they're fairly secure, not homely, but also not too expensive or blingy (I like to give these away sometimes).

Why does packing tape smell like vinegar?

rawredmeat — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:47:25 -0800

Why the heck does plastic packing tape smell like vinegar? Has anybody else noticed this? We're talking plain old clear plastic packing tape, which has a VERY distinct vinegar smell when you use it. In roll form, it is apparently odorless, but as soon as you tape a box, WA-BAM! Vinegar smell! Has anyone else noticed this? Any thoughts?

Join me in the Quest for the Mexican Salad Dressing!

goodnewsfortheinsane — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:30:16 -0800

Help me recreate an awesome Mexican salad dressing! So I just had one of those pre-packaged salad kits, and it came with an awesome dressing. It was a Mexican chicken salad, and the dressing was a tangy, sort-of tomato-ey sort-of corn-y delight with quite a bit of a bite (but no apparent capsaicin heat). I think it or something similar would work brilliantly as a home-made dressing or cold sauce. The ingredients as listed on the packaging:

Water
Soya oil
Tomato purée
Vinegar
Sugar
Dextrose
Herbs and spices
Onion
Modified corn starch
Salt

I'll spare you the food acids and other additives, but suffice to say that, big surprise, MSG was in there (but none of its cousins in the E620-E630 range).

I believe the tomato purée refers to the concentrated kind; it definitely tasted like it (although Dutch tomatoes I feel are generally quite watery so I'm somewhat easily impressed with the concentrated and processed stuff). In fact, the overall taste held the middle between concentrated tomatoes and something corn-like, strongly reminiscent of tortilla chips (the non-cheese kind). Add a faint vinegary tang, and you're pretty much there.

It had about the consistency of common chili sauce (but as I said, no heat). It was very different from any salsa I've eaten, and completely smooth; without any onion or tomato chunks like in salsa or adobo.

Has anyone ever made anything like this? Any pointers? Thanks in advance, guys!

I want my sweet sweet salsa!

saeculorum — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:57:56 -0800

Is there a copycat recipe in existence for Trader Joes' Corn and Chile Salsa? How about a cheaper alternative? I have become completely addicted to Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Salsa. The salsa is a tomato-less and appears to mostly consist of corn, a bit of green chile and onion, sugar, and vinegar. I've spent more than a little bit of time trying to find a recipe is even close to it, but haven't had any luck. In particular, it is a very sweet and tangy salsa - it's not spicy at all. Does anyone have any ideas on how to make this? My few attempts have ended up in sugary corn goop.

Failing the recipe, has anyone seen this salsa anywhere else? Trader Joe's rebrands almost all of their goods, so I'd imagine some other company makes the salsa in their own label. Any hints?

Which is better, an extra rinse or the dryer?

kindle — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:15:44 -0800

Which is better for the environment: a second rinse with vinegar or drying with something aside from dryer sheets? I'm trying to do my part here, and for a while was line-drying all my shirts (also to avoid shrinkage). But they all end up rather stiff and linty, which is uncomfortable and also unattractive. I'm wondering which, in the long run, is better: using additional water and energy on a second rinse cycle with vinegar, or using additional energy drying them with something like dryer balls (which I use with the rest of my laundry, but they don't necessarily remove all the static)? Or if there's something else I'd love to hear suggestions!

Can I use spoiled wine as vinegar?

qvantamon — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 00:50:32 -0800

Can I use spoiled wine as vinegar? Cooking wine? I managed to open some fairly good pinot noir, only to drink two glasses of it, and forget the rest in the fridge for a month or so.

Since vinegar is basically spoiled wine, can I at least use this wine as fancy vinegar (for salads, etc), or cooking wine (for sauces, etc). Or is it somehow harmful (it tastes good, so my only worry is on the health side).

Also, if I'm to do that, is there anything I should do to make it more adequate? Like leaving it completely open (I originally stored it with the cork on), out of the fridge, or something like that?

Best use for expensive, old balsamico?

zap rowsdower — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:01:12 -0800

Aged balsamic vinegar recipes/uses? I recently came into possession of a very nice bottle of 25 year old aged balsamic vinegar. I've had it over vanilla gelato, but am wondering if there's other recipes or ways of utilizing/showcasing it's distinctive flavor.

The only other recipes I know of I found from the company itself, and cursory googling. Ideally I'd like something along the same vein of the gelato dish, in that it really showcases the flavor without using up too much of the actual balsamico.

Thanks!

pepper vinegar

dearleader — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:48:57 -0800

I live in New York City and I'm trying to get a bottle of the southern 'pepper vinegar' pronto (something like 'texas pete's pepper sauce). Anyone know where you can find this southern staple up gotham way? The big grocery store, Fairway, was of no help...

Using up vinegar?

Deathalicious — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:45:15 -0800

What are some ways to get rid of (i.e. use up) a lot of fancy vinegar? Two months ago or so I bought around a liter of tomato vinegar (tastes something like balsamic vinegar). Since then I've only managed to use around a 6th of a bottle. I am moving in 3 weeks and can't take the vinegar with me. I'd rather not throw it away. What are some things that I can do with a whole lot of vinegar?

Beyond vinaigrette?

Ragma — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:39:57 -0800

Need some great recipes with fancy vinegars. So for Christmas my folks got me a gourmet goody box. Some pate, imported cheeses, nice chocolates, etc. Included were two bottles of fancy vinegar, one sherry and one balsamic. I'd like to have some ideas for wonderful things to cook with these. I know...... salads....... but I'd like something beyond that. I know my way around a kitchen just fine, but a brief perusal of some cookbooks isn't turning up anything beyond the typical vinaigrettes.

Will vinegar kill my houseplant?

meggan — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:28:17 -0800

Help me clean my plant's container and avoid killing the plant itself. I have a "lucky bamboo" (Dracaena sanderiana) plant in a glass container filled with water. As the water evaporates, it leaves white deposits on the inside of the glass that do not come off easily.

If I were to temporarily dump out the water and scrub the inside of the container with vinegar, could this harm my plant? Is there a better way to get rid of those water deposits?

Help me beautify the container and keep my plant alive.

Where can I buy pickled eggs in Houston?

mrbill — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 11:10:24 -0800

Where can I buy pickled eggs in Houston? Are there any reputable retail establishments in Houston where I can buy a jar or two full of pickled eggs? I know how to make my own, but would rather buy them ready-to-eat.

I've been looking for the three years I've lived here (had the same problem in Austin as well). None of the major grocery stores (Kroger, HEB, Albertsons, Rice) have them, and I've not been able to find them at any of the ethnic specialty stores either.

Bonus points if I can find them somewhere near Westheimer/Gessner.

I normally buy them online from Jake & Amos but am having a horrible craving and I don't want to wait a week for UPS to show up.

URGENT: I accidentally made chlorine gas -- should I start writing my will?

(bb|[^b]{2}) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:24:46 -0800

I just mixed bleach / vinegar / salt / and liquid dish detergent in hopes of created a super weed killer. I mixed the stuff in a fairly well-ventilated room, and then sprayed it on some weeds outside. Now I just read about chlorine gas resulting from the mixture of bleach and chlorine, and I'm suddenly feeling light-headed (hypochondriac). Am I going to die? I mixed the stuff about 30 minutes ago. The fumes were definitely strong, but I did my best not to inhale them. No coughing or choking. My eyes feel a wee bit dry, but not burning. My mouth is a little dry too, but like I said, I'm a hypochondriac, so it may have been that way before.

Is exposure to such a low level of gas usually harmful? Am I going to be vomiting and leaking blood out of my ears later today? Please help me assuage my fears!

Why do orange chicken vapors make me cough?

lostburner — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 07:34:44 -0800

This question is about chinese fast-food orange chicken (the deep-fried amorphous nuggets with a thick tangy glaze). When I take a deep smell from a hot bowl of this chicken, or hold it in my mouth and breathe around it, some sort of irritating vapor makes me cough (or stings my nose). Just one cough – enough to keep it from getting into my lungs. Once the chicken cools down (to mouth temperature, even) it doesn't happen. It reminds me of the reaction I've had sniffing acid in lab – could it be lots of volatile vinegar? I've experienced this with fast-food chicken in more than one college food court.

Spill your beans and save my stomach!

numinous — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:01:33 -0800

What is the "shelf-life" of my homemade mixed-bean salad? Ingredients, recipes, and other curiosities follow, so please check out I have drained, rinsed, and submerged:

1 can of kidney beans
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 can of cannellini beans
1 can of pinto beans, and
1 can of black-eyed peas

in enough white-balsamic vinegar that the entire bean-salad is covered. I am keeping the mix in a plastic container (specifically: Ikea tupperware in my refrigerator.

My question is: How quickly will this bean-salad spoil? What is the “shelf-life” of it, so to speak? Is it good indefinitely (as it is submerged in vinegar and refrigerated), or is there a specific time-frame during which it is edible, and then must be promptly thrown away lest I suffer the wrath of the gastronomic gods?

If there is a time limit, is it a week? two weeks? a month?

After enduring numerous bouts of stomach-related sickness, I am ever the one to err on the side of caution; however, I don’t want to be wasteful, so I’d like to avoid throwing this delicious mix out prematurely. Suggestions?

I thank you on my belly’s behalf.

Vinegar - tasty condiment or household disinfectant?

catfood — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 12:34:55 -0800

Is vinegar really effective as a household cleaner? A number of people have suggested to me to use vinegar instead of bleach in my household cleaning, stating that it's just as effective as killing germs & bacteria and leaving things nice and clean, without being as toxic as bleach.

I do use vinegar to de-stink things (the dishwasher, coffeepot, etc), but I'm not sold on the fact that it's a disinfectant. Maybe my Google-Fu is off, but I can't find any information about it except from "Frugal Living" sites, and their primary goal seems to be more to save a buck than to clean your raw-chicken-slimed kitchen counters or toilet bowls.

Anyone have any evidence? Or suggestions for other less-toxic household cleaners?

Which Aceto Balsamico is best

mi6op — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 20:47:19 -0800

Which Aceto Balsamico is best to get and where is the cheapest place to get it. I saw another user talk about getting this aged vinegar as a wedding gift. After researching it, it seems there are many different varieties all coming from Italy. But I can not tell which brand is worthy of its price tag. So which brands do you think are best and where is the best place to get them. Thanks.

Vinegar-garlic steamed veggies?

maudlin — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 15:31:36 -0800

Brazilian/Portuguese cooking experts, please holp me! I can't find a recipe for the amazing vegetables I had last night. I had wonderful churrasco (Portuguese barbeque) last night on St. Clair. I expected the chicken to be as great as it was, but the veggies (brocolli, cauliflower, peas) were a revelation. They were either steamed or stir fried to a tender-crisp state and were both garlicky and tart. My husband thought the hot vegetables just had some salad dressing applied, but I am curious if there are some specific recipes out there.

We've already Googled some great recipes for the Portuguese cornbread, chickpea and cabbage soup, and, of course, the chicken, but I've had no luck with the vegetables.

Smelly Office

jdroth — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 07:18:50 -0800

How would one go about eliminating the odor of vinegar from one's office? [+] Our office is in an old trailer house in the middle of the country. Recently, a skunk died beneath the trailer. This, as you can imagine, produced an unholy reek. Eventually we removed the corpse and the foul stench faded.

To an extent.

Sometime during those few days of unbearable smell, one of my co-workers took it upon himself to spread vinegar on all of the draperies, the fabric of the chairs, and even on the floors. (Somebody had told him that vinegar was an effective antidote to skunk scent; I think it just accentuated it.)

Now that the skunk is gone, the office still reeks of vinegar. It's everywhere.

Please: among all of you Metafilterians, there must be at least one person who can help us get rid of this odor.

Making tarragon vinegar, your experiences?

gimonca — Sun, 20 Jun 2004 20:09:40 -0800

Making tarragon vinegar, your experiences? Garden has mutant nuclear-power-plant tarragon taking over everything, and I need another way to make use of it.

So, to make the vinegar, do I:

--let the springs dry for up to 5 days, or just plop 'em right in?
--boil the vinegar first, or use it right from the bottle?
--steep the tarragon vinegar in a jar somewhere, first, then strain it into bottles, or just make it right in the bottle?
--use sterile glassware, or just any old thing?

I've gotten conflicting answers from a variety of sources. Your personal experiences, and conflicting answers, will be appreciated.