For a Good, Clean, Cheap Time: Vinegar

With all the new, expensive over-hyped and largely ineffective nutritional supplements on the market these days, it’s nice to know that some old, inexpensive, largely ineffective remedies are still being touted as magic bullets for the masses.

Like El Nin~o, these health fads tend to be cyclical. A few years ago everybody was talking about how apple cider vinegar cures arthritis, slows the onset of old age, relieves stomach disorders, controls weight, eliminates dandruff, relieves the frequent urge to urinate and is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. The experts loudly disputed these claims. But guess what? They’re baaaaaaaack!

The discovery of vinegar was largely accidental. Some old wine turned sour about 10,000 years ago and voila--vinegar. Now there are a number of things that vinegar does well, but the ones listed above simply have not been proved to be among them. Even the vinegar trade associations refuse to associate themselves with any curative or nutritional claims.

Here’s what vinegar is and can do:

* It is an excellent preservative because it is highly acidic and prevents the growth of bacteria that cause botulism.

* It is a fermented product that can be made from apples, grains, potatoes, molasses, wine or plain alcohol and thus comes in many different colors.

* It is among the cheapest products you can buy at the grocery store, but some varieties (like dark balsamic vinegar, which is aged in wood) can cost as much as fine wine. Because it is so versatile, the sale of vinegar has become a half-billion-dollar-a-year business.

* Besides making a great salad dressing, vinegar can be used in a number of other cooking operations.

For example: Add a teaspoon to the water when cooking rice and you’ll get whiter, fluffier rice. Freshen up wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water and vinegar. Add one-quarter teaspoon of wine vinegar to one cup of white sauce to intensify the flavor. Mix a tablespoon of strawberry or orange vinegar (see recipes below) in an 8-ounce glass of club soda and ice to get a cooling drink. Add strawberry vinegar to yogurt and get a wonderful pink dressing for fruit salad.

* Always keep white vinegar on hand for household chores. It is not only environmentally safe and nontoxic, it only costs about 2 cents an ounce.

For example: Remove soap and stains from your kitchen and bathroom faucets with a mixture of one teaspoon salt dissolved in two tablespoons of white vinegar. Remove wine, cola and even catsup stains from most fabrics by treating with undiluted vinegar within 24 hours. Discourage ants by washing counter tops, cabinets and floors with equal parts of vinegar and water.

If you’d like to make your own fancy vinegars, here are a couple of recipes courtesy of the Vinegar Institute in Atlanta.

STRAWBERRY VINEGAR

2 pints fresh strawberries

1 quart cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

Remove stems from strawberries; halve strawberries; set 1/4 cup aside. In a large bowl, place remaining strawberries. Pour vinegar over strawberries.

Cover and set aside for 1 hour. Transfer vinegar and strawberries to a large sauce pot. Add sugar, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.

Strain out strawberry mixture, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Pour vinegar into a 1 1/2-quart jar. Add reserved strawberries.

Cover tightly.

ORANGE VINEGAR

1 quart white vinegar

1 cup sugar

Orange peel from 1 medium orange (orange portion only)

In a large sauce pot, place vinegar, sugar and orange peel; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Transfer vinegar and orange peel to a 1-quart jar. Cover tightly.