What is red wine vinegar, how to make it. Nutritional value and chemical composition, medicinal properties and possible harm during use. Food recipes and application features.
Red wine vinegar is a food product that is made by fermenting red fortified or dry wines. Acetic acid bacteria are added for oxidation and fermentation. In rare cases, dark grapes or pomace after juice are used as raw materials. The strength of vinegar is equivalent to the type of wine from which it is made, the color is red or burgundy, of various saturation, the aroma is grape, the taste is rich, spicy, pungent. Presence of sediment is allowed. It is used in the food industry for making marinades and hot sauces. France is considered the birthplace of this product.
How is red wine vinegar made?
In the manufacture of a cheap product, grape pomace, waste from the production of juice or wine, and yeast are used. The raw materials are washed with water and fermented in oak barrels. When the foam settles, filtration is carried out, and then the intermediate infusion is put to ferment in a glass or metal container.
The more popular way to get high quality products is Orleans. The preparation of wine vinegar is carried out in a container lying on its side with built-in glass tubes. In an oak barrel with a volume of 50-60 dl (decalitres, where 1 dl = 10 l), holes with a diameter of 4-5 cm are cut in the bottoms at different levels. On one side, a glass tube is installed in the vat to remove carbon dioxide formed during fermentation.
The raw material is pumped into the barrel and left for several days. If oxidation has not occurred - the surface of the liquid is not covered with an acetic film, then acetic acid enzymes are additionally introduced. After 1-2 months, 4-5 dL of finished vinegar is pumped out through the holes, and fermented wine is added to the barrel. The process is quite long, but if it is accelerated, fusel oils will be clearly felt in the final product.
You can make red wine vinegar like white by distilling it through a tank filled with beech or oak shavings. But such a product will not correspond to the declared qualities, since an accelerated oxidation process is possible only in a steel installation. The aroma of the raw materials and taste are not preserved in contact with metal.
How to make wine vinegar yourself:
- Of wine … The Portuguese use cabernet with 8% alcohol as a starting material. Sourdough can be made from ripe berries. They are placed in a glass jar along with oak chips, the neck is closed with gauze folded in several layers, and left until completely sour. After 3-4 weeks, the starter culture is filtered, and a large volume of food product can be made. The wine is poured into a wooden barrel, sourdough (50 ml per 0.75 l), cut cinnamon sticks are added and left for a month at a temperature of 20-22 ° C. Then the fermented liquid is filtered and bottled. If you choose this method for making homemade wine vinegar, the product will never run out. It is enough to constantly add red wine to the started bottle.
- From juice … The bunches are not washed. The surface of the berries is colonized with yeasts, which improve the taste of the final product. The twigs are separated, spoiled grapes are selected, and ripe, whole, are pressed into porridge with a wooden pestle. Pour 1, 5 kg of puree with honey water, dissolving in 1, 5 glasses of boiled water, 1, 5 tbsp. l. dark honey. The prepared raw materials are poured into a glass container, which is filled by no more than 2/3, and 20 g of rye bread is also put there. The neck is closed with gauze folded in several layers, and the jar is removed to a warm, dark place. Stir daily to keep the mash loose on the surface. The wort ferments for 2-3 weeks. When the berries settle, the liquid is filtered and poured into a bottle. The vinegar is considered ready when it becomes completely transparent.
- From the pulp … This recipe is preferred by winemakers so as not to dispose of grape pomace. A glass bottle is filled halfway by diluting the feedstock with water: 0.8 kg of pomace, 1 liter of water, 80 g of sugar. Fermentation is carried out in the same way as already described - in a warm, dark place. After 2 weeks, the wort is filtered, squeezed, the liquid is again poured into a glass jar, filling 2/3. Secondary fermentation lasts up to 2 months. When the liquid becomes completely transparent, it is filtered through paper filters and bottled.
Regardless of the recipe, homemade wine vinegar is almost the same in properties. But the best taste is obtained when fermented in wooden barrels.
Composition and calorie content of red wine vinegar
The density of vinegar made from dark grape varieties is increased. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the final product contains tannins that are released during the oxidation of oak barrels.
The calorie content of red wine vinegar is 12, 5-19 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 0 g;
- Fat - 0 g;
- Carbohydrates - 0.3 g;
- Ash - 0.17 g;
- Water - 94.47 g.
Vitamins are represented by ascorbic acid - 0.5 mg per 100 g.
Macronutrients per 100 g:
- Potassium, K - 39 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 6 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 4 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 8 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 8 mg.
Microelements per 100 g:
- Iron, Fe - 0.45 mg;
- Manganese, Mn - 0.046 mg;
- Copper, Cu - 10 μg;
- Zinc, Zn - 0.03 mg.
The benefits and harms of red wine vinegar are provided by the following compounds:
- Pectins - remove waste and toxins from the body.
- Pantothenic acid - facilitates the absorption of B4, choline, improves the functions of the central nervous system.
- Dietary fiber - speeds up peristalsis, but oversaturation can provoke diarrhea.
- Alcohols - antimicrobial and antiseptic, but irritate the mucous membrane of the digestive tract.
- Antioxidants - stop age-related changes, prevent intestinal malignancy.
- Lactic acid - replenishes the reserve of carbohydrates.
- Enzymes - improve the digestion process, prevent putrefactive processes, but can lead to an overload of the pancreas.
- Aldehydes - normalize the work of the cardiovascular system, but can provoke intoxication.
- Tartaric acid - stops the oxidation processes in the body and increases the acidity of gastric juice.
The use of red wine vinegar is not limited to adding this ingredient to food to enhance the taste of dishes. The product is introduced into home cosmetics and used for weight loss. Acetic acid reduces the absorption of fatty acids and, accelerating the digestion process, quickly removes them from the body. No weight gain occurs.
Benefits of red vinegar
The healing properties of the product, made from dark grapes, were appreciated by the healers of Ancient Rome.
Topical benefits of wine vinegar:
- Thanks to its antiseptic and antimicrobial action, it helps to cope with angina, tonsillitis, stomatitis.
- Reduces the symptoms of varicose veins.
- Stops capillary bleeding, including nasal bleeding, accelerates wound healing.
- Helps to stop fungal diseases - onychomycosis, lichen, dandruff on the hair growth zone.
- Removes warts, papillomas and heel spurs, calluses and corns.
- Restores perspiration.
Oral intake
reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood, normalizes blood pressure, lowers the glycemic index of food (it is allowed to use the seasoning for diabetes mellitus). A small amount of wine vinegar in food inhibits E. coli and salmonella bacteria.
If the product is regularly introduced into the diet (in small quantities), the body's resistance to ARVI increases, the work of the nervous system is stabilized and the course of bronchial asthma attacks is facilitated.
In the first trimester of pregnancy, grape vinegar helps to cope with toxicosis. With bouts of nausea, dissolve 1 tsp in a glass of water. of this product and drink in small sips. The same method will help you recover from alcohol intoxication.
Contraindications and harm of red wine vinegar
Do not use this product if you are allergic to red grapes and intolerant to sucrose and fructose. Abuse causes bone destruction and osteoporosis.
From red wine vinegar, harm can appear in chronic cystitis and pyelonephritis in the acute stage, in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - peptic ulcer, gastritis with high acidity, erosive gastritis and cholelithiasis.
Note! Topical application of undiluted product may cause burns.
Red Wine Vinegar Recipes
Red wine vinegar does not go well with soy, cottage cheese, sour cream, dairy dishes, any kind of legumes, and potatoes. Do not add it to dressings made from fresh vegetables and fruits - too pronounced taste can overpower the aroma of the rest of the ingredients.
Red Wine Vinegar Recipes:
- Meat salad … 400 g of frozen Brussels sprouts are sorted into inflorescences and fried in any refined vegetable oil. Cut 100 g of not very fatty bacon into even, equal slices and also spread in a pan so that a golden crust forms on both sides. Mix the dressing: 1 tbsp. l. liquid dark honey and red grape vinegar, olive oil and crushed hazelnuts. Add chopped shallot gruel to the dressing. Combine bacon and cabbage, pour over the dressing. You can eat it both warm and chilled.
- Puree soup with buckwheat … Saute in a frying pan, gradually laying out half of the onion, a clove of garlic and grated carrots. Pour washed buckwheat into the same pan - 100 g, pour water, about a glass, so that the porridge is stewed. Prepared buckwheat and vegetables are mashed, pepper, salt and a little sugar is added. 50-80 g of turkey liver is cleaned of films, cut into small pieces and fried separately from other products, in olive oil. In a separate bowl, grind 50 g of frozen raspberries, 1 tbsp. l. wine vinegar, half a red onion - must first be chopped very finely. Liver and raspberry sauce are spread in the buckwheat puree soup. Do not refrigerate before use.
- Panzanella … White bread, 300 g, dry, pour a glass of water and 40 g of red vinegar. While the crackers absorb the liquid, the red onion is cut into thin strips, the fleshy tomatoes, 3 pieces, are diced, and 20 g of basil leaves are torn by hand. Divide the bread into pieces with a fork, mix with the prepared ingredients, season with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Ice cream cake … The whites and yolks of 6 eggs are separated, the whites are stored in the refrigerator. Remove the zest from one lemon. Butter, 120 g, triturated with 100 g of granulated sugar. Continuing to stir, add one by one the yolks, 100 g of wheat and 25 g of corn flour, 1 tsp each. baking powder and vanilla extract. Knead the dough. Preheat the oven to 200-220 ° C, bake the cake on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Beat the whites with salt to get strong peaks, add 200 g of powdered sugar and pour in 0.5 tsp. red wine vinegar. Ice cream balls of your choice are spread on the cake, and covered with whipped egg whites on top.
- Layered cake … To speed up the cooking process, puff frozen dough is purchased at the store. They put it to thaw for 1 hour, and this time they are busy with the filling. Rub 50 g of any hard cheese. Caramelize the onion. To make it sweet, first cut 2-3 red onions into rings, fry in olive oil until golden brown, pour in a little water, stew for 10 minutes, pour in 1, 5-2 tbsp. l. wine vinegar, add sea salt, ground cloves and black pepper powder, 1 tbsp. l. cane sugar. Cool onion marmalade. The puff pastry is rolled out, transferred to a baking sheet covered with parchment, sides are formed and greased with butter. Spread warm onion marmalade in a prepared form, sprinkle with cheese, cover with a layer of dough. Bake at 200 ° C until golden brown. You can serve the cake warm or cold.
Interesting facts about red wine vinegar
The first vinegar was made from dates, but was used not as a food ingredient, but as an antiseptic. Only by the V century. BC, sour red wines were used as a raw material. In ancient Rome, wounds were washed with a fragrant caustic liquid, and the Aztecs treated poisonous snake bites and fought fever.
Much later, in 1864, the medicinal properties were described by chemist, microbiologist and physician Louis Pasteur. He also compiled an algorithm for the oxidation of wine by acetic acid bacteria.
There are many ways to use red wine vinegar in cosmetology:
- For acne. It is used instead of a lotion for rubbing the skin - in the morning and in the evening. If the strength of the product is 9%, it is diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio.
- Dandruff Sage decoction, diluted in half with wine vinegar, is rubbed into the scalp. It is better for blondes to choose a different recipe - the product has coloring properties.
- Against cellulite. Apply strips of cotton cloth soaked in wine vinegar to problem areas and wrapped with cling film. After the procedure, rinse with warm water.
How to make red wine vinegar - watch the video:
Store red grape vinegar in a dark place at room temperature. Sediment, unlike the white variety, is not allowed. If this happens, then you should not use a low-quality, not fully fermented product. High-quality red vinegar has a thin cobweb-like film on the surface. If it is absent, then it is advisable to refuse from the acquisition, and in the future from the use.
