A Dash of Vinegar – The Versatile Elixir will not go amiss, usually an organic apple cider vinegar in my case, but there are many. And I have a lot. Vinegar is one of those ingredients that quietly does more work than it gets credit for – and when it comes to apple cider vinegar uses in my kitchen, the list is longer than you might expect.

It is, at its simplest, the product of ethanol fermented by acetic acid bacteria – that tangy sharpness that lifts a sauce, cuts through fat, balances sweetness, and preserves everything from chillies to cucumbers. The word itself comes from the Old French vinaigre — sour wine — and humans have been making it for at least 5,000 years. The ancient Babylonians were at it around 3000 BCE, using dates, figs, and beer.

Apple cider vinegar goes into marinades, dressings, and — most importantly — my fermented hot sauces. It is the acid that keeps fermented chilli mashes safe and stable during lacto-fermentation, and it turns up in almost every hot sauce I make at Casa Adora. If you want to go down that road, the Fermentation Hub is a good place to start. It also turns up in my Quick Red Chilli Sauce — five minutes, a blender, and a generous splash of cider vinegar.

Apple Cider Vinegar Uses — and the Others Worth Knowing

Beyond apple cider, the vinegars worth knowing are white wine and red wine vinegar for dressings and sauces; sherry vinegar for Spanish cooking and anything that needs a nutty depth; rice vinegar for Asian dishes and anything delicate; malt vinegar for fish and chips, obviously; and balsamic for drizzling over things that deserve it.

On the rare occasion I have a bacon sandwich, I go with a dash of vinegar. Try it.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef