What is vinegar?

[AniaSM]

This may seem an odd question, but what is vinegar? I've used it thousands of times but I don't know what its made from.

[Jugglering]

It depends on what sort of vinegar you mean... malt, wine or cider ! Malt vinegar is fermented from barley malt, wine vinegar from wine and cider vinegar from cider...

This is how malt vinegar is made

http://www.solutions.uiuc.edu/content.cfm?seri es=3&item=294&Parents=0%7C28

[Buenchico]

Further to Jugglering's post:

It's basically diluted acetic acid, with various impurities (which give it its flavour) derived from the particular substance (e.g. malt),which is fermented.

More here:
http://www.versatilevinegar.org/todaysvinegar. html

Chris

[AniaSM]

So its a bit like wine?

[Panic Button]

Wine that has gone off

[Ethel]

Chip shops don't use vinegar - to save money they use 'non-brewed condiment' made from industrial acetic acid.

'Vinegar' comes from the French and literally means sour wine.

[Octavius]

The Romans used it to make 'posca' which was wine that had gone sour. They mixed with water and honey to make it more palatable, it was often considered refreshing by the legions on long marches.

It is thought that it was posca that was offered to Jesus on the cross.