Guest guest Posted September 11, 2003 Report Share Posted September 11, 2003 Most vinegars are made from boiled ingredients, with the exception of apple cider vinegar, which is made from fermented apple juice. Bridgitte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2003 Report Share Posted September 11, 2003 How do they make balsamic vineger? Just something I've been wondering about. Does anyone know? On Thu, 11 Sep 2003, Bridgitte wrote: > Most vinegars are made from boiled ingredients, with the exception of > apple cider vinegar, which is made from fermented apple juice. > > Bridgitte > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2003 Report Share Posted September 11, 2003 > How do they make balsamic vineger? Just something I've been wondering > about. Does anyone know? Genuine balsamic vinegar results from two fermentations: alcoholic and acetic. The first is a slow fermentation of mosto cotto (cooked grape juice); this produces alcohol and leaves some sugar. What follows is a second fermentation, in which alcohol created by the yeast is further transformed into acetic acid by aceto (or vinegar) bacteria. The residual sugar, in combination with the acetic acid, accounts for the sweet-sour makeup of balsamic vinegar. One mystery of balsamic vinegar making is the ability of yeast and vinegar bacteria, normally antagonistic to one another, to exist side by side in the developing mosto cotto. This coexistence has never been duplicated in the pure environment of a laboratory. 1. The grapes, traditionally Trebbiano, as well as Lambrusco or other lesser-known varietals, are picked as ripe as weather permits. The grapes are gently crushed, pressed, and passed through a coarse sieve, the juice left to settle briefly before being transferred to a large open kettle. 2. Impurities are combed away and discarded. The juice is simmered between 180° and 195°F for 24 to 42 hours. (If it gets too hot, the sugar will caramelize, blocking fermentation, and an unpleasant, scorched taste will result.) 3. Reduced by roughly half, the mosto cotto is removed from the kettle, cooled, and transferred to holding tanks for fermentation and then to barrels. 4. Wooden barrels are essential to balsamic vinegar's flavor. Built in decreasing volumes from about 100 to 10 liters, the casks are arranged in a series called a battery. Most producers use a variety of woods, including oak, chestnut, mulberry, ash, cherry, juniper, and sometimes other fruitwoods. Each cask is filled to about 80 percent of its capacity, and porous cloth is draped over the large, square opening. The large opening encourages evaporation, feeds the aceto bacteria which need oxygen to convert alcohol to vinegar, and guarantees a concentrated result over time. Environment is an indispensable aspect of the process. Traditionally, barrels are stored in a clean, drafty attic so the vinegar is exposed to wide fluctuations in temperature (in the Emilia-Romagna, often-torrid summers alternate with frigid winters). Balsamic vinegar is a living substance responsive to the seasons. 5. Topping-up of the barrels happens once a year. In general, starting with the smallest barrel, as much vinegar as is necessary to restore the previous year's level (which decreased through evaporation) is taken from an adjacent larger cask; the level of this cask is in turn restored by a nearby cask, and so on down the line. The largest cask is topped with the fermented, acidified mosto cotto of the new vintage. The vinegar grows denser as it ages and travels down the series, while the various woods contribute aromatic complexity. The vinegar is eventually drawn from the smallest cask in the battery. There you have it, Couldn't get any more cooked that that. Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2003 Report Share Posted September 11, 2003 Bridgitte, Definitely cooked is Balsamic Peter Margie Roswell [mroswell] 11 September 2003 16:27 rawfood Re: [Raw Food] vinegar How do they make balsamic vineger? Just something I've been wondering about. Does anyone know? On Thu, 11 Sep 2003, Bridgitte wrote: > Most vinegars are made from boiled ingredients, with the exception of > apple cider vinegar, which is made from fermented apple juice. > > Bridgitte > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 The only raw vinegar is apple cider vinegar. Judy Pokras vegwriter editor/founder/publisher The Little e-Book of Raw Thanksgiving Recipes Raw Foods News Magazine www.rawfoodsnewsmagazine.com An online magazine celebrating raw vegan cuisine since March 2001, and featuring authoritative info, breaking news, and fun interactive features on the raw vegan lifestyle. Chosen as a 2005 Hot List Item by SRQ Magazine. Recommended by best-selling author Harvey Diamond, Writer's Digest, EnergyTimes, The Vegan Guide to NYC, the Japanese magazine Engine, breathing.com, and the national radio program Carolyn Craft's Inner Wisdom. Have you signed up for our free e-newsletter? When you advertise with us you reach a targeted market. Did you know that switching to a vegan diet helps prevent global warming more than switching to a hybrid car? Check out our new blog! http://RawFoodGrrl.blogspot.com In a message dated 6/18/07 10:56:34 PM, mouser4 writes: > Is vinegar raw? I am specifically wondering about basalmic, rice and > mirin? I love balsamic with flaxseed or olive oil... > > Thanks, > Beth > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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