Spirit Vinegar - "Made From Sugar Cane"

Special Cooking Hints:

Cabbage Odour: The odours of boiling cabbage can be prevented from permeating your home by adding 2 teaspoons 5% white spirit vinegar to the cooking water.

Fluffy Rice: A teaspoon of 5% spirit vinegar added to water for boiling rice makes white fluffy rice, no matter what kind of rice is used.

Freshen Vegetables: Freshen up slightly wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water and 2 teaspoons 5% spirit vinegar.

Preserve and Store Fresh Herbs: Pack into a small glass jar and fill with 5% white spirit vinegar. When you need to use the herbs, just shake them dry and use as normal.

Put Life Into Your Casserole: The merest whisper of vinegar in your casserole will transform the flavour especially if the meat is fatty.

Household Hints:

Polish Chrome: To polish chrome and stainless steel simply moisten a cloth with white spirit vinegar and wipe clean.

Polish Brass: Your brass, copper and pewter will shine when cleaned with the following mixture. Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in one cup of white spirit vinegar. Add enough flour to make a paste. Apply paste to brass, copper or pewter and let it stand for fifteen minutes. Rinse with clean, warm water and rub dry.

Shower Curtains: Wash your plastic curtains in the machine with a bath towel. During the rinse cycle, add one cup of 5% white spirit vinegar, then tumble dry briefly.

Retard Grease Build-up in your Oven: Dampen your cleaning cloth in a 50/50 5% white spirit vinegar and water mix and wipe out your oven. It will prevent grease build-up if done regularly.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Clean and deodorize rise your toilet bowl by pouring undiluted 5% white spirit vinegar into it. Stubborn stains may be removed by spraying them with vinegar and brushing vigorously.

Clean Linoleum Novilon: Add one half cup of 5% white spirit vinegar to 1 Litre of warm water. Your floor will be left sparkling clean.

..........................................................................................

Grape & Wine Vinegars - "Made From grape wine"

Grape vinegar is the ideal basic cooking vinegar. Since the product is made from wine, it retains the subtle flavour and aroma of wine.

Being an unrefined product, Grape vinegar contains potassium and magnesium as well as various trace elements which are essential for your health.

Wine vinegar differs from grape vinegar in that it is made from cultivar related wines whilst grape vinegar is made from blended distilling wine.

Special Cooking Hints:

Low Cost Preservative-Free Salad Dressing & Marinades: Branded ready made salad dressings contain MSG and preservatives. A quick and healthier alternative is to make your own salad dressing and have a bit of fun being creative.

To get you started here are a couple of tasty cost effective recipes.

Steaming Vegetables: To retain vitamins and minerals add 2 teaspoons white grape vinegar to the water.

Flavour Booster: Perk up a can of soup, or gravy or sauce with a teaspoon of grape vinegar. It adds flavour and freshness.

Tastier Canned Fruit: Sprinkle grape vinegar on canned fruit to perk up the flavour.

..........................................................................................

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider vinegar is ideal for use as a health supplement as well as for cooking. Apple Cider vinegar is made from the juice of pulped whole apples hence it is an unrefined product it retains all its vitamins and natural trace elements.

Reference was made to the health properties of Apple Cider vinegar as far back as the fourteenth century. Today in the United States of America over 65 million litres of Apple Cider vinegar is consumed annually mainly because of its reputation of health properties.

Special Health Hints:

You will note that reference is also made to combining honey with apple cider vinegar. Honey not only makes the mixture taste better but there are schools of thought which feel that it results in improved assimilation of trace elements.

Arthritis & Rheumatism:  Mix two teaspoons each of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of water daily as a diet supplement.

Digestion & Weight: Try two level dessert spoons of bran mixed with two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar each morning.

High Blood Pressure: Try two teaspoons apple cider vinegar mixed in water and taken each morning.

The aforementioned remedies have been extracted from articles printed in various British and American articles. We stress that readers who are on special medication and/or diets should consult their doctor before embarking on such a diet and should not stop existing medication except under the direction of their doctor.

In Europe and the USA as well as in South Africa, apple cider vinegar is used by farmers and breeders as a feed supplement to improve animal health.

Special Cooking Hints:

Try substituting grape vinegar for apple cider vinegar in your recipe and taste the difference.

..........................................................................................

Imported Balsamic Vinegar - "Made from Trebbiano Grape Must"

Balsamic vinegar is ideal for gourmet cooking. Its sweet and sour taste makes a great vinegar to use in salads and cooking.

Balsamic vinegar originated in Italy and is made from the must of Trebbiano grapes. It is matured in wooden barrels for up to fourteen years, hence it is substantially more expensive than other vinegars.

When buying Balsamic Vinegar, look for the Modena seal or licence number to ensure you are buying the genuine product. The bottle should give an indication of grade, since genuine balsamic vinegar is graded by age.

..........................................................................................

Herb Vinegar - "Made From Grape Vinegar & Assorted Herbs"

Herb vinegars are ideal for salads and marinades, making a healthy alternative to today's pre-packed products. Being a natural preservative, vinegar retains the taste and goodness of the infused herbs.

Special hints:

Make your own Herb Vinegar: Herb vinegars are simple to make and when packed in an attractive bottle, make ideal gifts or kitchen decor.

Take fresh herbs, wash and trim them to remove dirt and damaged material. Insert in a glass container and then fill with 5% white or natural grape vinegar. Seal the container and decorate. The vinegar will be ready for use in two weeks and will last for ages.

Herb vinegars make a great seasoning on grills or for barbecues. Splash onto the meat before cooking.

Use herb vinegars as a salad dressing by mixing 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil and add salt and pepper to taste. The fresh herbs give the dressing a great taste.