Important Vinegar Substitutions That Will Save Your Recipes (2024)
There's a multitude of options for vinegar at the grocery store, from apple cider vinegar to herbal-infused specialty varieties. This versatile liquid is used in salad dressings, for pickling and fermenting foods, and even to clean your house. But if you've got (among others) white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and white balsamic vinegar in the pantry, they aren't all interchangeable. Certain vinegar substitutes work better than others, depending on what you're cooking. Use this handy guide for when you're making your next recipe and need a vinegar replacement stat.
Vinegar Substitute Guide
When substituting different kinds of vinegar for one another, you can generally use a 1:1 ratio for the amount of vinegar in the recipe. Use this guide on types of vinegar to choose one most similar to the vinegar called for in your recipe.
Balsamic vinegar is made from white Trebbiano grape juice and barrel-aged for many years (as few as three years and some at least 25 years!). It has a distinctive brown color, syrupy body, and slight sweetness. It's often used sparingly to add mellow sweetness to Italian and Mediterranean foods. However, it's also growing in popularity for use in salads and even desserts. This specialty vinegar is best used in dishes that call for it specifically (like this fan-favorite balsamic chicken recipe).
Balsamic vinegar substitute: For 1 tablespoon, substitute 1 tablespoon cider vinegar or red wine vinegar plus ½ teaspoon sugar.
Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apple cider. It's mild with a subtle hint of apple flavor. It's the most versatile vinegar and makes a good substitute for almost any other.
Apple cider vinegar substitute: Your best apple cider vinegar 1:1 substitutes are rice wine vinegar, distilled white vinegar, or white wine vinegar. If you only have red wine vinegar, use about 1 tsp. extra per tablespoon used since it's a bit lighter.
Fruit vinegars are usually mild in flavor and slightly sweet. They pair well as dressings for salad and in chicken recipes.
Fruit vinegar substitute: If you don't have a specific fruit vinegar for a recipe, apple cider vinegar or a wine vinegar should make a good replacement.
Herb vinegars, infused with fresh herbs while the vinegar is still warm, are savory but subtle. Before making a substitution, consider the herb that flavors the vinegar. If you would use that particular herb in your recipe, herb vinegar is a great replacement.
Herb vinegar substitute: Herb vinegars aren't common ingredients in your everyday recipes, so you could substitute herb vinegar with cider, white, malt, or wine vinegar.
Malt vinegar is made from malted barley and is mild and sweet, making it a good substitute. However, if you substitute malt vinegar for a more robust variety, such as white vinegar, you may wish to add a bit more than called for in the recipe (just a tablespoon or so should do the trick). The most common use of malt vinegar is served with fish and chips.
Malt vinegar substitute: Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice are your best options for malt vinegar substitutes.
Rice vinegar is the sweetest, most subdued vinegar, made from rice wine or sake. It's best for only the most delicate dishes.
Rice vinegar substitute: There isn't a great substitute for rice vinegar. Try replacing rice vinegar with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you're in a pinch. Add ¼ tsp. sugar per tablespoon you're swapping out.
White balsamic vinegar is made differently than balsamic vinegar. The grapes are pressure-cooked to prevent the caramelized color of balsamic vinegar and aged for a much shorter time (only 1 year) in uncharred barrels to keep the color light.
White balsamic vinegar substitute: Substitute white balsamic vinegar with white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar to prevent color changes in your recipe.
White vinegar is made from distilled grain alcohol and has a sour, harsh flavor. As a result, it may overpower more delicate flavors in your cooking.
White vinegar substitute: If you need a different vinegar to substitute for white vinegar, use apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar. You could also swap in lemon or lime juice, depending on your recipe. When you're canning or pickling, there are no comparable substitutes.
Wine vinegar (available in both white and red) tastes rich and fruity. Either red or white makes a flavorful substitution in most dishes. However, don't use red wine vinegar in dishes that contain pale, light ingredients because it may discolor them. Wine vinegars are the most common choice for salad vinaigrettes.
Wine vinegar substitute: The best substitutes for wine vinegars are apple cider vinegar, white balsamic, or white vinegar.
Use your newfound vinegar replacement knowledge to make a new recipe. Combine balsamic vinegar with wine for a unique twist on jelly. Make your own gut-healthy fermented foods such as spicy kimchi or sauerkraut. You could also find a new vegetable or fruit to pickle beyond cucumbers.
White vinegar substitute: If you need a different vinegar to substitute for white vinegar, use apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar. You could also swap in lemon or lime juice, depending on your recipe. When you're canning or pickling, there are no comparable substitutes.
You don't want to inadvertently lower the acidity of a recipe that you'll be storing long term. For 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, swap in 1 tablespoon of either lemon juice, lime juice, cider vinegar, or malt vinegar.
White and cider vinegars for preserving are standardized to 5% acidity. Increasingly, store brands of vinegar are available with 4% acidity, so be sure to read the label! If you choose a vinegar with 4% or lower acidity, it may not be strong enough to safely preserve food.
I consider cider vinegar a good, all-purpose vinegar. It's inexpensive, versatile and not quite as aggressive as white vinegar because of its subtle, but not overpowering, fruitiness. It works just as well uncooked, such as in vinaigrettes or pickles, as it does cooked. Try it in barbecue sauces or glazes.
Lime juice. Lime juice is the best substitute for lemon juice, as it can be used as a one-to-one replacement and has a very similar taste and acidity level ( 5 ). ...
While you can use red or white wine vinegar in nearly any recipe that calls for a wine vinegar, white wine vinegar is slightly more versatile since it's colorless. That means it's ideal for pickled vegetables and pan sauces that you want to stay the same hue.
Balsamic vinegar is the next best substitute for apple cider vinegar, especially in making vinaigrettes and dressings. However, balsamic vinegar can also replace apple cider vinegar in entrees to balance the savoriness of meat, poultry, fish, slaws, and roasted veggies.
We can say that aged balsamic vinegar has an indefinite shelf life. However, it would be convenient to use the product once opened, within two to three years, and the one that has yet to be opened, within five years. After that time, its color may change, and the flavor will no longer be as bright and fresh as before.
As the alcohol level of wine is much higher than cider, you may prefer to use half wine (250ml/1 cup) and half stock (250ml/1 cup) instead. For those who can't use alcohol then the cider could be replaced with a low salt chicken or vegetable stock and a spritz or two of lemon juice could be added at the end.
Canning: This method involves sealing food in airtight jars and heating them to high temperatures to kill bacteria and prevent spoilage. Drying: This method involves removing moisture from food by exposing it to air, heat, or sun. Examples include sun-drying fruits, air-drying herbs, and oven-drying meat.
“Vinegars with less than 5 percent acetic acid concentration should never be used in home food preservation, as they can lead to unsafe pH levels and spoilage.”
The only real side effect from leaving vinegar to its own devices is that its acidity will gradually decrease over time, making it less potent. This is why a "best by" date can be found on the bottle, but it's still perfectly fine long past that — it isn't an "expiration date," by any means. Vinegar does not expire.
Zhenjiang vinegar is one of China's Four Famous Vinegars—along with Sichuan Baoning, Shanxi mature vinegar and Fujian's Yongchun red vinegar—and the most well-known of the four in the West. It's from Zhenjiang City—formerly romanized as Chinkiang—in the eastern province of Jiangsu, which is not far from Shanghai.
What is acetic acid? Acetic acid is also known as ethanoic acid, ethylic acid, vinegar acid, and methane carboxylic acid. Acetic acid is a byproduct of fermentation, and gives vinegar its characteristic odor.
Cleaning vinegar has a concentration of 6%, meaning it contains 6% acetic acid and 94% water. While a 1% difference may not sound significant, it is: Cleaning vinegar is 20% more powerful than distilled white vinegar.
Introduction: My name is Rev. Leonie Wyman, I am a colorful, tasty, splendid, fair, witty, gorgeous, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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