In this article, we will answer the question “Can you eat distilled vinegar?”, and how to use distilled white vinegar in your cooking?
Can you eat distilled vinegar?
Yes, you can eat distilled vinegar. Distilled vinegar, or virgin vinegar, is purified from ethanol. It is less potent than white vinegar. Besides baking, meat preservation, pickling, and cooking, distilled vinegar is also used for lab, medicinal and cleaning purposes.
What is white vinegar and how it is made?
White vinegar is a clear liquid that is composed of 4–7% or up to 20% acetic acid and 93–96% water.
Traditionally, white vinegar is being produced as a product of the fermentation of sugar beets, potatoes, molasses, or milk whey.
The current white vinegar is the product of alcohol fermentation. This alcohol is fortified with yeasts or phosphates to carry out fermentation.
How to use distilled white vinegar in your cooking?
Poaching eggs: If you love poached eggs for breakfast, white vinegar is your friend. It prevents the egg whites from scattering and congeals them into a more uniform mass.
Pickling: You can pickle any fruit, veggies, or even eggs using white distilled vinegar as the base of the pickling solution. It has a neutral flavor and color and does not cost much.
Baking: White vinegar acts as the acidic counterpart of the baking soda that leavens your baked product. You only need a teaspoon of white vinegar to leaven your cakes, cupcakes or cookies, or egg-free desserts.
Cooking rice: Add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the boiling rice water. This prevents the rice from sticking and gives very fluffy rice.
Buttermilk in a pinch: You can make buttermilk at home using white vinegar and whole milk. All you need to do is stir 1 tbsp of white vinegar in 1 cup of whole milk and rest it. After 5-10 minutes, the whey will separate and the milk will become gritty.
Marinades and dressing: White vinegar is added to marinades because it is an excellent tenderizer. It is also used in dressing to mask the overly sweet or pungent flavor of some sauces and herbs, respectively.
Royal icing: Add 1tsp of white vinegar to your royal icing to cut down the sweetness and make it set faster. White vinegar is a great alternative to a cream of tartar. It stabilizes the egg whites and is the best stabilizer when making the gingerbread house.
Cheesemaking: Add white vinegar to milk in calculated amounts to yield a soft cheese. The acid from the white vinegar denatures the protein and stimulates protein curdling and why separation.
Health benefits of white vinegar
Controls blood sugar: Taking a sip of white vinegar after a meal prevents the blood sugar spike and keeps the insulin levels in check.
Weight loss: According to some studies, white vinegar reduces the rate of gastric emptying. This keeps you full for longer, reduces appetite, and aids weight loss.
Reduced cholesterol: Studies have revealed that white vinegar reduces cholesterol in mice. However, more experiments need to be conducted to prove this theory in humans.
Antimicrobial properties: The antimicrobial properties of white vinegar are attributed to its acidic nature. This makes the white vinegar effective against skin infections and burns, nail fungus, warts, and ear infections.
The non-food uses of distilled white vinegar
All-purpose cleaning solution: Shake 1 cup distilled white vinegar with 3 cups of water in a spray bottle. Spritz this solution anywhere that needs cleaning like windows, stove-tops, tiles, and carpets.
Relieve sunburn pain: Add 2 cups of distilled vinegar to your bathwater to relieve sunburn. Alternatively, damp a washcloth in a 50:50 solution of water and vinegar and pat it on the affected area. For relief.
Clean your coffee maker: Unless the manufacturer instructs otherwise, you can use distilled vinegar to get rid of mineral and oily build-up in your coffee maker. Fill the carafe and run a brewing cycle. Run another brewing cycle with plain water to get rid of vinegar residues.
Clean your microwave: Take a microwave-safe cup and fill it with ¼ cup of distilled white vinegar and 1 cup of water. Microwave on high and let the solution boil and form steam. Then wipe away any stuck-on food particles and stubborn stains or smells.
Clean the sink drain: Drain 1 cup of distilled white vinegar through the sink once every week to get rid of the stinky sink. Let the vinegar sit in there for 30 minutes before you rinse it with water.
Other FAQs about Vinegar that you may be interested in.
Can you use distilled white vinegar for cooking?
How to counteract too much vinegar in soup?
What can I substitute for red wine vinegar?
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “Can you eat distilled vinegar?”, and how to use distilled white vinegar in your cooking?
