Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: Teddy the tench on August 04, 2011, 23:12

Title: Vinegars
Post by: Teddy the tench on August 04, 2011, 23:12
Being very new to the world of making pickles and chutnies, a lot of the recipes detailed will say, for example, 1pt of vinegar. How does one know when to use malt/distilled/ready spiced pickling or distilled spiced pickling vinegar etc?
(that's not even considering the more exotic cider vinegars!!)

Thanks for any advice.
Title: Re: Vinegars
Post by: mumofstig on August 05, 2011, 09:34
I use ordinary malt vinegar for all the dark pickles, and add spices as required.
The clear vinegar (distilled?) for things that I don't want dark coloured, such as red cabbage.
If you don't want to make your own spice mix up then of course you can use the bottles of spiced pickling vinegar.
Title: Re: Vinegars
Post by: PeterP on August 05, 2011, 19:47
Most recipes will state what you have to use.
But the other comment is a good rule of thumb.
Ready spiced vinegar is fine, but it is nice to experiment with your favorite flavours.
Title: Re: Vinegars
Post by: Teddy the tench on September 01, 2011, 11:20
Thanks for the advice, having now made chutnies with runner beans, beetroot and toms, looking forward to sampling!
I can also amend my late wife's recipes where necessary - I was a (fairly) willing helper but a very enthusiastic sampler - should have paid more attention to detail!
Title: Re: Vinegars
Post by: NN2Blue on September 01, 2011, 21:21
Thanks for the advice, having now made chutnies with runner beans, beetroot and toms, looking forward to sampling!
I can also amend my late wife's recipes where necessary - I was a (fairly) willing helper but a very enthusiastic sampler - should have paid more attention to detail!

Nice to see somebody else making chutney with runner beans; I made a batch of runner bean and courgette chutney at the weekend. I used spiced malt vinegar which I bought in a big plastic container (gallon I think) from the local farm shop. Now we wait!  :D
Title: Re: Vinegars
Post by: Buster57 on September 10, 2011, 09:31
I only use cider vinegar for all my recipes as I find malt to acidic for my stomach