Take Stock Magazine - March/April 2020

Page 34

Shake it Up To a chemist, it’s acetic acid that can be made on an industrial scale. To a chef, it’s an age old classic ingredient that can be fermented from wine, beer or cider and made in small batches by artisan brewers or by leading commercial producers. We’re talking about vinegar, a stalwart of every kitchen and dining table for centuries. Here’s Take Stock’s definitive guide to this amazing condiment.

What is vinegar made from?

wine vinegar, apples for cider vinegar,

The word vinegar comes from the French

stage involves converting the fermented

vin (wine) and aigre (sour). But it’s not

alcohol to acetic acid using a specific

just grapes that form the basic ingredient

type of bacteria.

of vinegars. Indeed, vinegar can be made from any fruit, or any produce

Popular types of vinegar

containing sugar - so the list includes cane sugar, coconut, dates, rice, honey

Malt - made by malting barley, which

and even wood pulp. Vinegar is the result

turns the starch in the grain into maltose.

of a 2-stage fermentation process. The

Ale is then brewed from the maltose and

first stage involves the fermentation of

converted to vinegar using specialised

sugar to alcohol using yeast, rather like

bacteria. Malt vinegar is typically light

making beer or wine. The sugar has to

brown in colour but malt extract is added

come from a natural source; grapes for

to give a darker colour.

Consumers care more than ever about the quality and provenance of the food they eat and equally want condiment brands they know and trust.

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and barley for malt vinegar. The second

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