Organic A-Z: Vinegar

Vinegar is victorious! There are so many different types out there and they're all so delicious.  Different colors, different tastes, different levels of acidity, different bases for making them.  Let's get started. 

Vinegar is basically an acid.  Chefs talk a lot about adding acid to dishes to finish them off, while lemon juice is frequently the acid of choice, a variety of different vinegars also do the trick.  More than just a component in salad dressings, a little vinegar on a dish can really help heighten and enliven the flavors, bringing out the flavors within.  Give it a try!  People always say that old wine turns into vinegar.  This is not entirely true.  The wine would need to be fermented again with something call a "mother", a blob of friendly bacteria (like a sourdough starter).  The mother starts a secondary fermentation process which turns alcohol into acetic acid.  Since vinegar starts off as a juice (or wine or cider) or some sort, it's a good idea to branch out into organics.  Since I only eat organic apples the same goes when it comes to my apple cider vinegar!