Vinegar

It's not always easy to come up with new ideas to do research on, since some of the time I'm editing, or on some
kind of  writers' block hiatus. One thing I can always come back to is food.  Hell, there are so many culinary
creations out there; I'll never run out.  Not that I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here (I'm getting back into the 
creative part now), but sometimes I know what I'm talking about and don't need to do as much research.  Crazy, I 
know.  So, anyway, sometimes when I'm at a loss for a topic I just take a look in the kitchen cabinet.  

http://hilobrow.com/2011/01/11/de-condimentis-5-vinegar/

Vinegar has been a part of various traditions across the planet for about as long as we've been recording history.   
It consists primarily of acetic acid and vinegar.  The acetic acid is produced by the fermentation of ethanol (like 
when you leave your wine open) by certain bacteria.  It all works off of the sugars, once they figured out how to 
ferment it, they could then make vinegar from it (date wine, brandy, sake, etc).  However, vinegar is much more
than that.  It's used to clean and disinfect.  It was employed as a medicine and a cooling agent.  Oh yeah, we 
make pickles with the stuff too.
    Good vinegar takes time.  Traditional balsamic sold today is aged for 12 to 25 years before it's ready for sale. 
Granted, most of the stuff on shelves today is not that.  Vinegar used to be aged in barrels or crocks for three
or four years in a cool dark place.  Sealed bottles can be stored indefinitely, though exposure to light can change 
the flavor.  Even though they'd been at it for thousands of years, the quality of the product was not reliable until 
the development of the Orleans Method, which used vinegar starter from a previous desirable batch (called mother),
to add to the diluted wine or beer, and aged for the first few months with access to the open air (well, screened).
Like many industries, methods of production were closely guarded secrets throughout the Medieval period.  Apart 
from the basic recipes, herb can be infused in the mix to create an almost infinite variety of flavors.  
     Medicinal applications for this stuff are legion.  That's not to say that it works, but it's been used to these ends.
Samurai used it for a strength tonic.  Caesar's army drank Posca to prevent something or other, or maybe just as
a digestive.  It was used to clean wounds and prevent infection.  Four Thieves Vinegar was thought to prevent 
contraction of the Plague (some housebreakers who robbed the infected were pardoned in return for giving up the
recipe).  If it didn't actually prevent the plague, its vapors, dispensed from a small sponge in a small metal "vinegar"
covered the foul odors.  Still today, there are those who advocate for using it as a medicine for extending life and other more specific (though again, unverified) applications.  
    Vinegar also makes a lovely cleaning product.  My old landlord in Czech always sang the praises of "a little 
acid" (no I didn't look in the basement).  Medieval soldiers may have used it in conjunction with sand to clean their
mail.  Louis XIII apparently use it to cool his cannons and keep them rust-free.  There is the old story about 
Cleopatra winning a bet by using vinegar to dissolve a pearl.  If it can do that to a pearl, imagine what it can do
stains!  Apparently it works on leather too.  Just be careful to rinse well when you're done, so the acid doesn't 
work too well.    
    If you just want to eat the stuff, you can do that too.  Some times it's a simple condiment (malt vinegar on 
your chips) or salad dressing.  It's also used in making some chutneys and a variety of marinades (which helps 
kill some of those wee beasties).  Vinegar is a principle ingredient in Philippine cuisine and is an essential element 
of sushi rice (which we all know is the most important element of good sushi).  Of course, it's also used in some 
pickling processes, especially in conjunction with salt.  Damn that stuff is useful.
    Not all vinegar is good for all of these applications, of course.  Balsamic vinegar would be terrible to use for 
removing stains or cleaning your cannons, just like plain white vinegar wouldn't be the best thing to put on your 
salad.  It seems that as long as we've been making booze, we've been leaving some to turn to vinegar.  Got to do
something with that stuff.  Happily it can be extremely useful.  Now, I wouldn't suggest that you try to make this
stuff at home, though I guess we've done all the boutique booze styles already, so this could be the next logical 
step.  Ooooh look, I'm putting you ahead of the curve.  Just remember, don't try to make this stuff in your bathtub,
or you'll find yourself short of porcelain.           
       


All around article - http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/oils/vinegar-101.asp

Vinegar producer - http://www.moutarde-de-meaux.com/en/histo-origine-vinaigre.php

Wiki - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar

good compilation - http://hilobrow.com/2011/01/11/de-condimentis-5-vinegar/

general - http://humantouchofchemistry.com/know-how-vinegar-came-into-existence.htm

general - http://www.enzyme-facts.com/vinegar-history.html

traditional balsamic - http://theplanetd.com/traditional-balsamic-vinegar-150-years-of-passion/

uses around the house - http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html