AARP Hearing Center
Key takeaways
- Enhance everyday cooking with vinegars that balance flavor using subtle acidity.
- Choose balsamic, apple cider, rice, and white vinegar based on taste and use.
- Support health with antioxidant-rich and blood sugar-friendly vinegar varieties.
Summary
Chef David Kamen explores essential vinegars and their health benefits, highlighting how each type elevates everyday cooking. From the rich, fruity depth of aged balsamic vinegar to the lighter, sweeter notes of apple cider vinegar, these pantry staples add balance and complexity to dishes.
He also points out the functional advantages of each variety, including antioxidant properties and potential support for blood sugar control. Kamen provides practical tips on usage and storage, and how these vinegars offer simple ways to boost both flavor and wellness in the kitchen.
The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
Full transcript
[0:00:00] So vinegars are one of those wonderful things to have
[0:00:02] as a staple inside your pantry.
[0:00:04] When I’m tasting something and I’m thinking that this dish needs just a
[0:00:07] little something and I can’t put my finger on what it is, oftentimes it’s
[0:00:12] just that little splash of vinegar.
[0:00:14] One of my favorite types of vinegar to use is balsamic vinegar.
[0:00:17] A true balsamic vinegar comes to us from Modena, Italy.
[0:00:21] They can age this in cask barrels for as long as 10 or, or even 50 years.
[0:00:26] The longer they age it, the more mellow it becomes and the more expensive.
[0:00:30] It has a nice little umami factor.
[0:00:32] It’s got a really nice fruitiness to it, and it works great for dressings, really good for marinades.
[0:00:38] It’s also very, very rich in antioxidants, which helps reduce inflammation.
[0:00:42] We’ve gone ahead and put this vinegar into a clear bottle for use during our cooking in the kitchen here, but always get balsamic vinegar in a colored glass bottle, whether it’s green or brown, just to protect it from the harmful UV rays.
[0:00:54] Next we have apple cider vinegar.
[0:00:56] Apple cider vinegar tends to be a little bit lower in acid, a little bit sweeter and fruitier.
[0:01:01] This really works well with things like, uh, different slaws, coleslaw or broccoli slaw.
[0:01:06] I use apple cider vinegar in potato salad all the time.
[0:01:09] Try to get apple cider vinegar with the “mother.”
[0:01:11] That really means it’s in its most, uh, pure state.
[0:01:14] It hasn’t been filtered or pasteurized.
[0:01:16] Uh, helps contribute to the anti-inflammatory properties.
[0:01:19] Also among the best to help control our blood sugar.
[0:01:21] And next we have rice vinegar.
[0:01:23] This is among one of my favorites personally.
[0:01:25] I use rice vinegar all the time.
[0:01:26] It’s a much cleaner vinegar.
[0:01:28] It’s nice and gentle and light for making dipping sauces.
[0:01:31] It’s good in a teriyaki sauce, marinating fish.
[0:01:34] It’s not very acidy, so it’s not going to make the back of your throat close up when you taste it.
[0:01:39] And then we have probably one of the most common vinegars out there, distilled white vinegar.
[0:01:43] It’s very, very neutral in flavor.
[0:01:45] One of the better vinegars to use for pickling, because it’s not going to add any other dimensions and really let the, the flavor of your preserve stand out.
[0:01:52] Because of the acidic properties, it’s great to clean, uh, grills or griddles.
[0:01:56] Uh, my daughter actually uses it to clean her fish tank because she doesn’t want to go in there with soaps or bleaches.
[0:02:01] And distilled white vinegar is also one of the least expensive ones out there, so if you’re buying anything in bulk to use for things like cleaning or sanitizing, uh, this is going to be your best money saver.
[0:02:10] Vinegar is just the hidden secret of flavor, a tremendous number of health benefits, and they’re all really, really great for turning good food into excellent food.
