Vinegar - so many uses, I would hate to be without it (Vinegar in general)

Member Name: Mioliere

Product:	Vinegar in general
Date:	07/09/08 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Many - cheap, easily available, versatile

Disadvantages: None

Vinegar is such useful stuff and not just for bringing out the taste of chips or adding to salad dressings.

I use malt vinegar for adding to basic dishes - it's lovely on salads and on most fried foods, but it's the white vinegar which I find useful for cleaning. Used neat on a cloth, it's fantastic for wiping smears off mirrors and windows. I mix it with warm water for general window cleaning; it's more effective than any of the window cleaning products I have tried. The acidity in it cuts through grease and dirt leaving the windows really clean; just a final wipe with some scrunched up newspaper will bring the glass up to a fine shine.

For unblocking sinks and drains, a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar works a treat. I put about a quarter of a pint of vinegar to a couple of tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda down the sink plughole; it fizzes (but not dangerously) and works to unblock it and clear grease. I would not recommend it for major blockages, however, which should always be investigated properly.

White vinegar makes an excellent fabric conditioner; just a capful poured into the conditioner drawer of your washing machine will leave your washing soft and easy to iron but will not leave any lingering vinegar smell. It also helps to keep the washing machine itself clean.

You can also add vinegar - any kind - to casseroles, stews and soups that contain meat - it helps to tenderise it.

I also love balsamic vinegar and add it to a lot of dishes but its most surprising use is with fresh strawberries - for some reason, it really brings out the full flavour of them. Add a teaspoonful to cut strawberries, add sugar if you wish, and leave them to soak up the taste. Delicious.

Vinegar and sugar mixed up on a teaspoon is a really effective cure for hiccups and cider vinegar mixed with honey works wonders on a sore throat and really helps to soothe if you have a cold.

A very good use for vinegar is removing bad odours from a room. If you've been cooking something like a curry, just leave a bottle standing with the top off and the vinegar will absorb the smell. This is especially useful if someone has been sick and you want to make the room smell fresher - in this case, you might not want a bottle of vinegar masquerading as an ornament in a living room or bedroom, so you can just pour some vinegar into a little dish and leave it in a discreet place.

All in all, vinegar is one of the most useful things you can buy, and one of the cheapest. Malt vinegar, the brown one, sells for around .69p for 568mls and the white is a little dearer. It is found in all grocers and supermarkets; the most well-known is Sarson's but all the supermarkets have their own-brand vinegars.

Summary: Perfect for cooking and cleaning, too