After hearing about all those benefits and uses for apple cider vinegar, its original purpose may have gotten lost.
You’ll notice that you find apple cider vinegar on the grocery side of the store. That’s because the primary purpose is to be used as food. Whether that be food preservation, food fermentation, purification & cleansing, or to implement in existing recipes as a substitute or additional flavor, apple cider vinegar can do a lot.
We’ve decided to provide a master list of food-related uses for apple cider vinegar below. Perhaps you’ll even be able to find the perfect fit for ACV in your diet.
Antipasti: Make antipasti (mushrooms, artichoke hearts, grilled squash, eggplant, and peppers) tossed with ACV, olive oil and herbs for a delicious and colorful hors d’oeuvre platter.
Batter: Add one tablespoon of ACV to a cup of flour, a cup of water, a half teaspoon of baking soda and salt and pepper for a super-light frying batter to coat your fish, onion rings, vegetables, and shrimp.
Bread: Add one teaspoon of vinegar to yeast dough to help the dough to rise through gluten development. Brushing the crust with a little vinegar just before finishing baking will give you a shinier crust.
Cheese: Add a tablespoon of ACV to a cloth and wrap cheese in a sealed container to delay mold growth.
Condiment: Sprinkled on battered, fried fish for a bit of zing.
Crab boil: Add to crab boil when cooking shrimp or crab to reduce fishy odors.
Deglazing: Add a tablespoon of ACV to pan drippings to add a bit of zing to meat sauces. Reduces the use of salt.
Fish: When poaching fish, add a little ACV to water to help keep fishy odors at bay.
Icing: A drop of vinegar in a sugar icing will prevent granulation.
Jams and jellies: Adding a tablespoon of ACV will be as effective as lemon juice when used with non-acidic fruit.
Lemon juice substitute: Run out of lemon juice? ACV works just as well. Try it in guacamole!
Marinades: Helps tenderize tough cuts of meat.
Meringues: Add a teaspoon of ACV to egg whites to make them fluffier.
Mushrooms: If you want your mushrooms to stay white, boil them in water that has been acidified with 1 tablespoon ACV. Drain and add to soups and white sauces.
Pickles: Make your own pickles with your garden produce. You can also pickle whatever you’d like using apple cider vinegar.
Pie Crusts: Add a tablespoon of ACV to your dough to make it flakier.
Poached eggs: A tablespoon of vinegar added to water will help keep them from spreading out.
Potatoes: When peeling potatoes, add them to a bowl of cold water with a little vinegar to prevent them from discoloring before cooking.
Ragouts or beef stews: Round out the flavors of your stews by adding a splash of vinegar, especially with red wine stews.
Red cabbage: adding a tablespoon of vinegar to red cabbage when cooking will keep its bright red color. When making a raw salad, use a vinaigrette dressing to also keep the color bright.
Salad dressings and vinaigrettes: Ditch your bottled dressings and make traditional French vinaigrette dressing by combining one-part vinegar to 2-3 parts olive oil. Substitute vinaigrette for mayonnaise in potato salad, tuna salad and bean salad for a healthier, lower calorie dish.
Sauces: Add to homemade barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, catsup, and chutneys for a jazzy version.
Sour cream: Make your own by blending together one cup cottage cheese, 1⁄4 cup milk and one teaspoon of vinegar. Let sit for a few hours before using.
Sweet and sour sauce: Mix with honey for a delicious and unexpected flavor sensation.
Washing vegetables: Adding 1⁄4 cup of ACV to a gallon of water helps clean vegetables of waxes, bacteria and surface chemicals. Do not use on fragile fruit such as raspberries.
The easiest way to implement ACV naturally is to make dressings and vinaigrettes to mix into any sort of salad. Whether it’s a fresh summer fruity salad or a protein rich quinoa salad, ACV can add a complex flavor profile to that leafy dish.
Some additional alternatives could be an apple cider vinegar hummus. Mix some olive oil, chickpeas, garlic cloves, lemon juice, and some spices together in a blender. Then add a tablespoon of ACV, dish it up, and start snacking with some carrots or pita chips.
To our vegan and vegetarian friends, we found a sushi recipe for you. For this one, you’re going to pour a cup of rice in some water. As that heats yom you’ll warm some apple cider vinegar with a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. You’ll pour that ACV mixture in the cooked rice, and then make your sushi roll with any of your desired fillings. (Some recommended ones are carrot shreds, cucumber shreds, bean sprouts, green beans, arugula, and cilantro.) As a garnish, you can sprinkle some black sesame seeds to the top of your roll.
If you’re looking for more nutritional information, take an internet stroll through Zhou Nutrition’s website. We provide information combining the research and experience it takes to create the ideal dietary supplement for anyone and everyone. In addition to that, we’ve published a series of articles about nutrition and dietary information to better help you figure out what works best for your body.
If you’re interested to read more about how apple cider vinegar can help you in the other areas of your life beyond food, we’ve published articles discussing apple cider vinegar benefits, uses, truths and rumors so that you can find out if ACV is something you want to try out.
If you’re interested in snagging all the benefits of ACV without the potent taste, check out Zhou’s Cider Detox for an alternative that’s easier on the taste buds.
