My obsession with vinegar has no limit. What else is so cheap and simultaneously so useful in both the home and garden? The culinary kitchen yearns for vinegar!
We talked about vinegar in the garden already. Check. We also crossed off how to best clean with vinegar.
But what about your kitchen?
Because there are a plethora of ways you need to be using vinegar in your kitchen now to save you both time and money.
Here are 10 ways you should be using vinegar in your kitchen for cooking purposes today!
Let’s go!!
Breaking down fibers in meat in the culinary kitchen
I’ve made some tough chuck roasts in my life. I know adding a tomato product or red wine can break down those fibers for a tastier and more tender pot roast.
Both do work so try them!
But did you know that vinegar can do the same trick? Yep. Especially if you add it to that tomato paste or red wine.
This is because adding vinegar to marinades or braising liquids breaks down protein fibers, so it helps tenderize the meat.
Make a marinade in the proportion of one-half cup wine, white, or cider vinegar to a cup of liquid bouillon. Add it right to the crock pot and be amazed how tender your chuck roast is 8-10 hours later!
Boiled egg in the culinary kitchen
Peeling boiled eggs can be a messy and stressful job. No lie! How many times have I boiled eggs for a quick and nutritious snack only to have the mess outweigh any benefit?
The regret when I see eggshell mess everywhere and hardly any egg left because it got stuck in the eggshell mess.
It’s much easier to peel hard-boiled eggs if you add a teaspoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of salt to the water they cook in. Bigger chunks of eggshell coming off over smaller chunks for the win.
Fluffier meringue & cheese keeper in the culinary kitchen
Let’s face it, we all want fluffier meringue. Who doesn’t?
Next time you make your famous lemon meringue pie, try adding 1/4 teaspoon of white vinegar to 3 egg whites.
Also, to keep cheese fresh and moist, wrap it in a cloth dampened in white vinegar and put it into an air-tight wrapping or container in the back of the fridge.
Flavor booster in the culinary kitchen
This one surprised me big-time! With just a teaspoon of wine vinegar, you can perk up a can of soup, gravy, or sauce.
Not only does it add flavor but makes your food taste fresher.
Canned soup? I know. It’s what we eat only when we are desperate and up all night with a newborn. So we have to do what we can to make it taste better.
Make your own vinaigrettes
I actually dislike salad dressing and won’t touch the stuff. In fact, I have an OCD with even touching the bottle. Yuck!
But Tom and the kids all like dressings so we have a problem. If left to their own devices, they all will smother their poor salad in blue cheese dressing. Double yuck.
So I encourage Tom to make his own vinaigrettes to not only spare a few calories but to also make the salad edible for those salad eaters.
Their favorite is balsamic which he adds a higher ratio of vinegar to oil.
Rinsing fresh fruits and vegetables
Someone who works in the local produce department where I live informed me that I wouldn’t believe the mold in the produce room.
This is where the produce you and I buy off the shelves is stored until it’s put on the shelf. And don’t even get me started on rats!
If you are not washing your produce before eating then there’s no hope.
Yes, I’m fully aware that you can buy produce washes at the store for $5-$6 for a tiny bottle. Who has money for that?
So just rinse your produce in white vinegar. It’s cheap and gets the job done. Our goal is to reduce the bacteria in our food.
Buttermilk alternative
I never buy buttermilk even though so many recipes seem to require it. Even if I spot it in the store, I gag at the price thinking I’ll use it just once before it expires. There goes 6 bucks down the drain.
Bet you didn’t know you could improvise with cheap white vinegar?
Make your own buttermilk substitution by adding one tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk and allow it to stand for 5 minutes to thicken.
Then use it in the recipe as you would real vinegar.
Using up the last of the ketchup
Due to my condiment OCD, I am also unable to touch condiment bottles. Ewww.
But occasionally I make fries in our air-fryer and of course, Tom and the kids require ketchup.
But that doesn’t mean I like to see ketchup get wasted. To use up all those bits of tomato sauce at the bottom of the bottle, add a few drops up to 1/2 teaspoon to get the last of the ketchup out of the bottle with ease!
Use can also shake up this remaining liquid and use it as a base for marinades if you add a little onion, garlic and your other favorite spices.
One final tip…
Create firmer gelatin by adding s teaspoon of white vinegar any gelatin recipe in hot summer months to keep those molded salads and desserts firm!
Any way you use it, vinegar is so healthy and useful in the kitchen!
Do you use organic nongmo vinegar when in or on your food? The cheap vinegar is made with corn and I only use it to clean. I use more expensive organic apple cider vinegar in my food. Apples and grapes are high is salicylates so vinegar is difficult in our house for those who are sensitive.
Yep. I use Bragg when cooking, but we don’t have any allergies here so I never worry about that. I also use a bit in my pot roasts with a little red wine to tenderize! Cheap vinegar (ALDI) kind is ideal for cleaning, especially cleaning the jets in our tub which gets icky. Hope you guys are well!
Wow, so much great information here, so many uses I didn’t know. Thanks!
I did not know about wrapping cheese in vinegar to keep it fresh, and what a great idea to rinse your produce in a vinegar solution. Just the thought of the behind the scenes stuff makes me want to hurl. I always make my own salad dressing – seems the cheapest option. But I buy buttermilk and freeze what I don’t use.
I love the tip about using it to clean produce! I never realized, thinking water was enough, but mold and pests? Never again! So glad you posted that!
I adore eating nuts for snacks! I never thought about buying in bulk at stores, gross. Guess I’ll stay away from the old fashioned peanut machine at the laundromat too 🙂 Thank you for the heads up.
I use vinegar to clean with sometimes, pouring into the disposal to help with odors! Never tried this wrapping cheese up, but have used making meringue.
So many great tips! Thank you for haring these.
I use vinegar for many uses in my kitchen. I clean with it, cook and use in recipes. Organic is the best and healthier for my recipes!
Great tips I can use just used vinegar today to clean my windows on my home. I always buy a gallon of it. Love your tips now I will give them a try too.
Wow some great tips!
My husband loves vinegar; but, the smell repels me. My husband laughs when I say I need a scent free vinegar. Yet I do tolerate it for cleaning & will consider trying it in the kitchen with your tips. Thank you.
I agree 100%, I hate the scent of vinegar too. The taste even more! Yuck. It’s so strange to me that my kids and husband love vinegar always on their fries. Never!
great info
I had heard about making your own buttermilk with vinegar but always wondered if it really works. I have shied away from making any recipes with buttermilk because just like you I would never finish the whole carton. If I see a recipe again with buttermilk I will try it now with the milk and vinegar trick. Thanks
Wow. What a lot of great ways you can use vinegar. Some I have heard of and some I haven’t. Thanks for all of the great tips.
I also use vinegar to clean my kitchen drains, making Italian dressings, and making shredded barbeque chicken in my crockpot.
I have used vinegar for lots of the tips you shared. I put vinegar in the water if I’m poaching eggs also.
These are great tips. It’s amazing what vinegar can be used for. Thank you!
I love using vinegar in my kitchen and for cleaning. I haven’t tried half of these ideas; I can’t wait to try using it with my boiled eggs!
The ketchup tip is totally new to me and makes a lot of sense. I will pass this on to my Mom…she will be pleased.
wow thanks for the tips
Thank you for the great tips. I had no idea that I could make cheese last longer by wrapping it in a vinegar cloth. With the high cost of groceries- I need to reduce food waste costs.
Lots of great advice! And thank you for the reminder, because I need to buy more white vinegar! Just used up the last of it today cleaning my essential oil diffuser.
so many uses for it. That is amazing
I run it through my coffee maker to clean it .
Me too Tony! People don’t realize how gross coffee makers get if they are not regularly cleaned!
I love using vinegar for cleaning the whole house!
Thanks for the great tips. Congratulations on the birth of your son.
I just love reading your reviews and helpful hints they help so much in many areas of my life.
Who would have guessed that there are so many wonderful ways to incorporate vinegar into cooking! Thanks so much for the tips!
Other than cooking, I use apple cider vinegar to catch fruit flies.
Yes!!! We do too!! Great tip!!
these are some great tips. I always use it to wash my produce and also for cleaning. It’s great for showers
Apple Cider Vinegar is great for acid reflux.
And I wonder if it works for heartburn which I get too?
I use vinegar in salads, cleaning and drinking about two tsps. in water before dinner.
I wish I could do that because it does suppress appetite, but I don’t like the taste solo! Hope you are doing well =)
Thanks for the great tips
I love a good tasting vinegar – We use it a lot at our house, especially in salads and dips.
White vinegar is also a star in our home, it seems to be able to clean just about anything.
Time to go pick up one of those huge bulk bottles of vinegar from Costco 🙂
I did not realize there were so many ways to use vinegar. Thank you for the tips.
A very interesting and informative article…I will be using these in the future!
I love vinegar. It is good for so many things. And I just learned a few more. ty
Great article! I learned a lot and will be trying out some of your tips.
Vinegar has been a long standing staple in my house. My all time fav is apple cider vinegar.
Vinegar has so many great uses. That’s why I keep lots of it on hand at all times.
Vineger is my go to fir cleaning and it does a grest job on windows, too.Of course for salads I use all types of flavored vineger, great on veggies too.
I use vinegar for many things, for cleaning my house and I also clean my coffee pots and mugs with it. I also cook with vinegar, adding just a tablespoon to any beef dishes will tenderize the meat.
These are awesome tips, things I never knew before. I use vinegar for many things as well but always as a scalp and hair rinse!
I don’t use vinegar much, but thanks for the tips!
Vinegar is an amazing product, so is baking soda! Maybe you could do a blog post on baking soda too, I’m sure you know of some amazing uses or that too, in the kitchen and garden.
I use white vinegar in the rinse cycle of my clothes washer. Clothes are always soft and soap free.
I use vinegar mostly for cleaning, but now I know a lot of other uses for it, thank you!
I love the versatility of vinegar!
We love all kinds of vinegars in this house. Thanks for all the information!
I had no idea vinegar could be used for so much.
Some of these tips were new to me! Great article!
Sorry about that, it’s all fixed!
I’m familiar with a lot of uses for vinegar but it seems I always learn something new! Thanks for the great hints!
Thanks for all the tips!