Exotic Vinegars

  In the breadmaking section, we pointed out that the water drops condensing on the lid of your sourdough are, in fact, distilled white vinegar.



  However, you may benefit from a wider selection and flavor profile. 'Distilled white vinegar' may make a less interesting vinegarette or dressing for your salad or sandwich than, say, an apple or cherry vinegar, for instance. Perhaps you will want a selection so you can mix and match.

  If instead of flour, you added sugar to the water used to make your sourdough, you would have a very, very plain vinegar. Using, for instance, differing fruits, or a mix of sugar and something like cucumber or carrot or onion, you would have different vinegars. You could also add various herbs like basil or dill or coriander, or a mix of herbs, and let them ferment.

  Added sugar is only necessary for sugarless and low-sugar, low-starch vegetables. You would definitely want it if you chose to give a turnip-mint vinegar a try. For fruit vinegars, it is not as needed.

  As long as there is air available, it will form a vinegar. A small toothpick-tip of bread starter or the proofed leaven therein will get you started.



  Having a wide selection of vinegars can enhance one's vinegarettes for salads and sandwiches while adding a greater choice of flavor profile to other dishes. Why not create a collection? It's your choice of herbs, fruits, and vegetables to ferment. Just make sure it gets a small amount of airflow, so that you have a collection of vinegars instead of a collection of exotic wines.


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