So what can’t Apple Cider Vinegar not do? Why is it so versatile? Apple cider vinegar, like Bragg, is made from pressed apples that are allowed to ferment to become alcohol and then vinegar. It has a mellow flavor that’s great in a number of recipes. Like many types of vinegar, apple cider vinegar contains a substance called acetic acid. Apple cider vinegar also contains some lactic, citric and malic acids.
Fermenting fruits to create vinegar dates back to 5000 B.C.E. in Babylonian. Hippocrates was said to have used and promoted it as a health tonic. Later it was made popular by the book Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health, written by D.C. Jarvis, M.D., was published in 1958. It’s got an interesting history and has a wide variety of uses – making it one the most versatile (and neat) products out there.
Cooking
Use apple cider vinegar into a marinade for meats or vegetables, or substitute it for white vinegar or wine vinegar in any recipe for some taste variations.
1) As a substitute for egg: One tablespoon for every egg you would have added.
2) As a substitute for lemon: If you’re out of lemon juice, and are using a recipe where the lemon is used for acidity, you can use apple cider vinegar instead.
3) To preserve ginger: Peel the ginger, then slice it and place it in a jar with a layer of Apple cider vinegar on top will help to preserve it longer. Refrigerate for best results.
4) To preserve cheese: Wrapping the cheese in a cloth soaked in apple cider vinegar helps to keep the cheese fresh.
5) To preserve cut fruit: Mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with water, then leave your fruits to soak in the mixture until you’re ready to serve.
6) To tenderize meats: The acidity of Apple cider vinegar helps to break down cellulose tissue, so rubbing a tablespoon on your meats before you marinate them will help tenderize the meat. You could always go the extra step and add the apple cider vinegar into your marinade, to taste.
You can also make many healthy and flavorful salad dressings with apple cider vinegar. The Braggs’ website includes several recipes you can experiment with.
Such as this one: combine 2/3 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar and a pinch of a French herb mix. Then add 2/3 cup honey and mix vigorously.
Medical
Unfiltered apple cider vinegar is known to have many medicinal properties as well.
1) Bee stings: I actually got stung by a Bee last weekend and used it to relieve the sting and redness. It worked! Clearly the motivation for this post.
2) Dandruff: apply a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar to the scalp, leaving it to dry.
3) Overall health: Said to help lower blood pressure, stabilize blood glucose, lower cholesterol. Most references state it should be taken a teaspoon at a time diluted in a glass of water per day. But You’re probably better off benefiting from it through your diet
Do you know of any random uses for Apple Cider Vinegar? Comment below.
References
