Do you know how vinegar came about? Today we’re going to briefly discuss the history of vinegar. Research shows us that we can trace vinegar all the way back to before 4000 B.C. It has been helping people for thousands and thousands of years. It’s nature’s gift to mankind. Vinegar is a sour liquid that comes from the fermentation of diluted alcohol products. This yields the organic compound acetic acid, its key ingredient. The acidity of it is what makes it the greatest household necessity. Acid is what cleans and disinfects surfaces.
The point is vinegar has been used for tens of thousands of years. You should always have some handy in your house for
home cleaning. You never know when you’re going to need it. We’ve done some research for you, gathered some facts, and listed all the different types for a brief history of vinegar for you.
Fun Fact
During the 18th-century people soaked sponges in it to help offset the foul odor of raw sewage and the lack of indoor plumbing. They had Small silver boxes called vinaigrettes that they used to carry these sponges.
Types
- Apple Cider – Made from cider or apple must, has a brownish-gold color and is known as the mother of vinegar.
- Balsamic – Balsamic is aromatic and aged produced in the Modena and Reggio Emilia provinces of Italy.
- Cane – Cane is made from sugarcane.
- Date – Made from fermented coconut water or sap, is used extensively in Southeast Asian cuisine.
- Distilled – This is variously known as distilled spirit, or white vinegar, and is used in cooking, baking, meat preservation, and pickling, as well as for medicinal, laboratory, and cleaning purpose.
- Malt – Malt vinegar, also called alegar is made by malting barley, causing the starch in the grain to turn to maltose.
- East Asian Black – Chinese black is an aged product made from rice, wheat, millet, sorghum, or a combination thereof.
- Fruit/Kiwifruit – Fruit vinegar is made from fruit wines, usually without any additional flavoring.
- Palm – Palm vinegar is made from the fermented sap from flower clusters of the nipa palm.
- Pomegranate – Pomegranate vinegar is used widely in Israel as a salad dressing and in meat stew.
- Rice – Rice is most popular in the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia.
- Sherry – Sherry is exclusively from the acetic fermentation of wines. There is a generous aroma that comes from Sherry, including a note of wood. Which is ideal for vinaigrettes and flavoring various foods.
- Wine – Wine vinegar is made from red or white wine
Fun Fact
The term “vinegar” comes from the French word “vin aigre,” meaning sour wine.
What is the best vinegar for cleaning?
The best kind of cleaner you can use for cleaning is white or distilled vinegar. Apple Cider is good for some tasks but white usually gets the jobs done. White or distilled is good for cleaning toilets, showers, coffee pots, floors, and even countertops.
If you
have vinegar around your house, you can pretty much use it for anything. At least, that’s what we do in my house! No more buying toxin household cleaners or spending unnecessary
money in the cleaning aisle. Furthermore, when I say this is the only thing you need to keep in your cabinets at all times, I mean it.
Fun Fact
The shelf life is pretty much indefinite due to its acidic nature. It is self-preserving and does not need refrigeration.
What else can I do with it?
There are plenty of things you can do with vinegar besides cleaning. That’s why it’s the perfect household necessity. It serves multiple household needs. Back before we had Lysol, Mr. Clean, and Pine-sol this is what people used. As a matter of fact, it’s as effective today as it was back then. Below, we’ve listed a few more tasks you can do with it:
- Freshen up the fridge
- Brighten coffee mugs and teacups
- Eliminate Odors
- Clean bathrooms
- Save a garment
- Clean toilets
- Lose the carpet stain
- Renew paint brushes
- Help kill mold
- Make an antibacterial cleaner
- Soften feet, and get rid of odor
- Kill Weeds
- Clean your microwave
For more tips and tricks to use around the house visit this site. What’s your experience with using this household favorite? Do you have any tips you’d like to share with us? Did you enjoy a brief history of vinegar? Tell us below!
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