Excerpt from Vinegars and Catsup: Interpretation of Standards, Analysis, Etc

The use of vinegar for condimental pur poses, particularly wine vinegar, is very ancient, probably being contemporaneous with the utilization oi wine itself. Practically any fruit juice capable of alcoholic fermentation can be converted into a vinegar by a subsequent acetous fermentation, which is also true of weak sugar syrups and honey solution. Moreover, of course, a weak alcoholic spirit distilled from a suitable fermented mash can be likewise sub. Jected to an acetous fermentation, furnishing the so-called distilled or spirit vinegar.

Vinegar is essentially a dilute solution of acetic acid, but it must be remembered that it is the product of a definite fermentation, con taining appreciable quantities Of certain solid and liquid substances derived from the material thus fermented, and that a solution of acetic acid (as purchased in the chemical market) re duced to proper strength can only be considered as an imitation spirit vinegar, at the best. And as an imitation of a good spirit vinegar it would be a very poor makeshift.

The constituents other than acetic acid which are present, as well as the characteristic ¿avor, etc., of a true vinegar depend, of course, upon the nature of the material-which has been fer mented into vinegar. The four principal vine gars in use at present are: Wine vinegar, result ing from the alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentations of grape juice, cider vinegar from properly fermented pure apple cider, maltvinegar from the alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentation of an undistilled infusion of barley malt or cereals whose starch has been converted by malt, and spirit vinegar, as men tioned above. In addition there is more or less manufacture and sale of a sugar or syrup vine gar made from the alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentations of solutions of syrup, molasses, etc., glucose vinegar from similarly fermented glucose solutions, honey vinegar from fermented honey solutions, and special fruit Vinegars, for instance, a vinegar is now being made from the juice of prunes.

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