What is apple cider vinegar? Facts, tips and recipes
In recent years, apple cider vinegar has become very popular, both domestically and internationally. But why has this millennia-old product gained such popularity? And what exactly is apple cider vinegar?
Here you will get basic information and our tips and recipes on how you can use good apple cider vinegar in your everyday cooking, e.g. in salad dressing, in French sauce for gastric juice, in homemade pesto and in a warming detox drink.
Apple cider vinegar – what is it good for?
A cure-all... or a salad dressing? If you want to learn more about apple cider vinegar, you'll find an incredible number of different claims about its properties. It can be easy to get confused about what's myth and what's fact. Is apple cider vinegar just a common and popular ingredient in salad dressing? Or is it a cure-all for almost all ills?
It is certain that apple cider vinegar has been used as a health-promoting agent since at least the time of the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates , who is also called the father of medicine. We know from the ancient medical text Corpus Hippocraticum that apple cider vinegar was used as an anti-inflammatory agent, including mixed with honey for colds and coughs and for wound healing. Apple cider vinegar is also part of many different ancient home remedies to promote digestion, weight loss, beautiful hair, and healthy skin.
There is a lot of research on the health benefits of apple cider vinegar, but there is still no clear scientific evidence to tell us for sure what this ancient product actually does. However, new evidence is emerging that apple cider vinegar consumed with meals can increase feelings of fullness and stabilize blood sugar levels.
Is apple cider vinegar healthy?
Yes, good apple cider vinegar is probably as healthy as apples! High-quality apple cider vinegar is made exclusively from apples – organic, unfiltered and unpasteurized. This means that the vinegar is full of the beneficial properties of apples in the form of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron. Of course, our apple cider vinegar is completely unsweetened, which also makes it the perfect flavoring if you want to avoid or limit sugar.
Moreover, quality apple cider vinegar is naturally fermented, in fact, double-fermented (more on that later), so vinegar likely has the same beneficial effect as other fermented foods, namely the probiotic effect of lactic acid bacteria.
Fermented foods increase the concentration of lactic acid bacteria, which, among other things, produces beneficial enzymes that facilitate digestion and the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Probiotic bacteria are good for the balance of intestinal flora, which strengthens the immune system - and your well-being. What is good for the stomach is good for you!
What is apple cider vinegar?
A good apple cider vinegar is first and foremost a fantastic fresh and sour flavor in the kitchen, and has probably been used in our Nordic latitudes since the time of the Vikings. While elsewhere they had better access to citrus fruits and wine, apples have been our sour ingredient for centuries. The great thing about apple cider vinegar is of course that by fermenting we get a refined and long-lasting product, so we can enjoy the acid and aroma of apples even when they are not in season.
The fact that apple cider vinegar has survived in our kitchens for all these years is certainly due to its great taste. The complex aroma of apple cider vinegar reflects the craftsmanship that goes into its production. In short: Good apple cider vinegar depends on two things: good apples and good craftsmanship.
Since apple cider vinegar is made exclusively from apples, it goes without saying that the quality of the apples is key. The apples must be of good organic quality and have good aromatic properties. An experienced vinegar master selects and combines the apple content with great knowledge of how the apple varieties will develop during the process - a bit like a winemaker combining the grapes in a wine. Our apple cider vinegar contains, for example, around 20 different old apple varieties such as Mettais, Petit Jaune, Rouget De Dol, Guillevic and Saint Nicolas, which are selected, among other things, for their high tannin content, i.e. antioxidants.
It is no coincidence that we compare apples to winemakers’ grapes. In naturally brewed apple cider vinegar, apples actually go through exactly the same process as grapes do in naturally brewed wine vinegar. First, the fruit juice – apple cider or grape juice – is fermented into alcohol, i.e. in the case of apples into cider and in the case of grapes into wine. Then the alcohol is fermented into vinegar. When we say naturally brewed vinegar, we mean that fermentation takes place through carefully controlled but natural and slow processes, where the fruit juice and alcohol are exposed to oxygen under exactly the right conditions. Our apple cider vinegar is developed for approx. 12 months.
You may be familiar with the term " mother of vinegar" . Mother of vinegar (Mycoderma aceti) is a jelly-like substance that, under the right conditions (oxygen, temperature, light), spontaneously forms on the surface of a liquid when unpasteurized fermented fruit juice is left to stand for a while. It is the mother of vinegar that converts alcohol into acetic acid with the help of acetic acid-producing bacteria that are found everywhere in our environment.
Natural or traditional vinegar making differs from typical industrial vinegar production, which is done quickly over a period of 24-48 hours, starting with unspecified alcohol in large aluminum tanks, adding acetic acid bacteria directly to the alcohol, and bubbling large amounts of air through it. One of the disadvantages of bubbling large amounts of air through the alcohol is that many of the aromas are lost. Furthermore, the rapid process of adding acetic acid bacteria means that many of the aromas don’t have a chance to develop at all – because it takes time.
Which apple cider vinegar is best?
If you want to make the most of its properties, when choosing apple cider vinegar, you should choose vinegar made exclusively from organic apples through natural fermentation.
And of course, you should choose one that tastes good to you. Many people feel that apple cider vinegar tastes too sharp when pure. But try it anyway, for example by mixing a few drops of vinegar in a small glass of water or in a little good olive oil. You can also just dip your tongue in a small spoonful of vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar can have an intensely sour and aromatic taste because it is usually used in small amounts, and it is the sour and aromatic touch that apple cider vinegar can bring that will add just the right flavor to your cooking.
Apple cider vinegar or green apple vinegar?
While you might think they're the same thing, apple cider vinegar and green apple cider vinegar are actually two very different things. While apple cider vinegar is made entirely from twice-fermented apples, green apple cider vinegar is made from pure apple juice to which vinegar, usually wine vinegar, has been added.
These two different production methods have a big impact on the taste and properties of the products. The way apple cider vinegar is made means that the vinegar contains more enzymes and organic acids, which can be good for digestion. Apple cider vinegar also tends to have a more intense, sour and complex flavor. This makes apple cider vinegar the perfect sour base flavor in everyday cooking.
Green apple vinegar, on the other hand, is a flavored vinegar that is usually much sweeter and milder. At Oliviers & Co, we have a large selection of flavored vinegars based on good wine vinegar and freshly pressed herbs and fruits, including apple , raspberry and pink grapefruit .
Many people are surprised by how delicious vinegar can taste when they first try our flavored vinegars. Flavored vinegars, such as raspberry vinegar , pomegranate vinegar , mango vinegar and green apple vinegar , are a great way to have delicious, seasonal favorite flavors available all year round. In doing so, they continue the original idea of preservation, where fresh ingredients are harvested and preserved when they are perfectly ripe and in season. Flavored vinegars can be used for all vinegar preparations and, thanks to their subtle flavor, are also excellent in sweet cuisine and, last but not least, are a fantastically easy way to add flavor to all kinds of vegetables, such as healthy coleslaws.
Apple cider vinegar and Green Apple Cider Vinegar are two very different things. They taste different and you usually need to use very different amounts because the intensity is so different. It's worth remembering, for example, when following a recipe that two different vinegars can't immediately replace each other. Part of what makes vinegars exciting is the many different options you get with just a few different types of vinegar on your kitchen shelf.
How to use apple cider vinegar in cooking?
Apple cider vinegar can be used for basically any preparation where you would use vinegar. Perhaps, like many others, you are not sure how to actually use this good vinegar in cooking?
Apple cider vinegar is a great basic vinegar, which is why it's often a staple in a well-stocked kitchen. It's also a great place to start if you want to use vinegar's excellent properties to add more flavor to your cooking. Here are our tips on how you can easily use apple cider vinegar in your everyday life.
In your vinaigrettes, dressings and marinades
Classic vinaigrettes, dressings, and marinades usually contain vinegar, and apple cider vinegar is a great choice. Use it with a delicious herbed olive oil for a salad dressing, or in a honey mustard marinade, barbecue marinade, or grilling marinade. Apple cider vinegar is also great for your homemade coleslaw.
In your sauce
No sauce is complete without a good vinegar. The aromatic and complex flavor of apple cider vinegar is perfect for adding just the right amount of flavor to your sauce. Apple cider vinegar is intense, so start with a few drops or a small teaspoon and add more until you get the right balance and can taste the acidity of the vinegar.
When it comes to sauce, apple cider vinegar is also great for anything with tomatoes, as the acid in apple cider vinegar best brings out the sweetness and tartness of tomatoes. Use apple cider vinegar in your homemade tomato sauce, such as on pizza, pasta, and in tomato-based casseroles.
If you have a little time and are a fan of sauces (and who isn't), you can easily make your own gastrique with just two ingredients: apple cider vinegar and sugar. Gastrique (or gastrique in French) has been a trusted but simple tool for chefs to season sauces for centuries. It was the influence of French master chefs since the 1980s that played a key role in the popular spread of gastrique, including in Czech cuisine.
With homemade gastrique, you always have the perfect sauce topping on hand. Gastrique is versatile and keeps incredibly long. There are countless recipes, and they are all basically as simple as this one:
Gastric juice recipe
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, carefully melt 100g of sugar over low to medium heat until it caramelizes (do not burn).
Carefully add 2 dl of apple cider vinegar and let both ingredients bubble until they dissolve and thicken into a thin syrup (this will take about 8 minutes). Do not stir and be careful not to thicken the gastric juice too much - it will thicken even more as it cools.
Pour the cooled gastric juice into a scalded bottle.
In your homemade pesto
Many of us love pesto! A good pesto can easily elevate any pasta dish and a slice of bread into a delicious meal. If you want to make your own pesto, apple cider vinegar is the perfect sour ingredient. Use good olive oil, good cheese, and your favorite herbs. Especially in cabbage pesto, bear pesto, and parsley pesto, a small spoonful of apple cider vinegar will enhance and complement the flavor.
Of course, the pesto recipe can also be used for other delicious dishes, such as easy and tasty pasta with pesto or in sandwiches.
In all that acidity
Apple cider vinegar is great for anything acidic, such as pickled red onions, beets, carrots, cauliflower, peppers, plums, tomatoes, and cucumbers. If you're used to pickling in neutral stock vinegar, you'll find that aromatic apple cider vinegar will enhance the flavor of your vinegar. It's especially good if you're pickling or pickling small amounts for everyday cooking with a few ingredients. You can also use apple cider vinegar as a flavoring, along with neutral stock vinegar or water if you prefer a less acidic option.
In your detox drink
If you've ever wanted to try apple cider vinegar in your daily regimen, here's our recipe for a detox drink that will give you a tasty and warming start to your day.
Detox drink recipe
1 large glass of hot water – bring the water to a boil and let it cool slightly so it is not boiling
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
A little squeezed lemon
A little grated ginger
A little cinnamon
Mix all the ingredients and let the detox drink steep for 5 minutes. Strain and enjoy it while it is still warm. Drink it every day for a month, preferably just before meals.
Apple cider vinegar – a staple in your pantry
If you haven't yet included apple cider vinegar in your regular keg assortment, perhaps this has inspired you to see how easily it can become your faithful companion when it comes to seasoning in the kitchen.
It's not without reason that apple cider vinegar has gained such popularity around the world. In short, it's one of the most effective flavor enhancers available, whether you aspire to become a master of French sauces or simply love delicious home-cooked food and want to have a healthy and satisfied stomach.
