What vinegar to use for salad dressing depends on your taste buds
Everyone knows eating vegetables is good for them. What some don’t realize is how delicious raw veggies are when combined in a salad. Topping off a mix of raw vegetables with a tasty dressing makes it even more appetizing. There are various dressing available in the stores, although many cooks prefer making their own. The best topping for your salad is often the simplest and involves using vinegar, but how do you know what vinegar to use for a salad dressing?
Your familiarity with this product may be limited to the bottle of apple vinegar stashed away in your kitchen cabinet, which you use to clean out your coffee pot. You need to broaden your gourmet vinegar horizons.
This sour but flavorful liquid, which flavors and preserves food, is a dilute acetic acid creating by fermenting beer, wine or cider. It has a lot more function than just being a coffee pot cleaner.
Take for example, Agro dolce Vinegar Sauvignon Blanc-Katz, produced in California. This name is Italian for ‘sweet and sour’ and it is perfect as a salad topping, especially good in a walnut, pear and blue cheese mix as well as on tomatoes. You do not need to use much because the acidity in Agro dolce is balanced.
Another example is Gravenstein Cider Vinegar-California, which is richly flavored and reminiscent of honey, baked apples and sweet spices coupled with tartness. Put this on your fresh vegetables and you will sing its praises. This topping is made from late-ripening apples.
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Many salad connoisseurs prefer vinaigrette to any other topping. When making your own topping, you add vinegar to oil, which do not mix. Shake the contents of the container to create temporary emulsion. The two components will blend momentarily but not for long.
If you prefer a neutral flavor, use the white version. For more taste, use the white wine variety. If you like a fruit taste, use a variety made from apples called cider vinegar, which is mild.
The balsamic variety is dark, sweet and has been aged in wooden casks. Aging creates a thicker and sweeter product. Rice vinegar is another option, made from fermented rice. It is the mildest version and has very little acidity.
British prefer the malt version while Filipinos love the cane variety, which is comparable to the rice version regarding flavor. Germans go for the beer variety. It is sharp and malty.
Benefits
Did you know vinegar is good for your health? It has a long history regarding medicinal value. It reportedly aids in digestion, heightens memory, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. It may help control weight. It relieves coughing and clears sinuses.
Studies show it may reduce glucose levels as well as lessen the risk of heart disease. It may even serve as an antioxidant. The melanoidins (compounds) in the balsamic version protect lipids from oxidation.
Because it is acidic, it removes bad fungi and bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and aids in absorption of nutrients from food in the intestines. It contains a water-soluble fiber called pectin, which prompts the absorption of fat, water, toxins and cholesterol from the digestive tract and assists in discarding these items from the body.
Warning
However, there are risks when a person consumes too much apple vinegar because it is highly acidic and can damage tooth enamel and the tissues in the mouth and throat. It should be diluted with water if you are drinking it.
Additionally, it can potentially lower potassium levels and decrease bone density if consumed in large quantities. The Mayo Clinic reports it can interact with drugs and supplements including insulin and diuretics, which can lead to insufficient potassium levels.
Experiment and find out which variety appeals to your taste buds the most. Introducing your children to the pleasure and benefits of salads early on will safeguard their health.