For the preparation of marinades for winter, vinegar essence is used. It is a clear and colorless caustic poisonous liquid with a pronounced smell. It is a 70- or 80-percent solution of acetic acid, which is obtained by industrial dry distillation of wood or by acetic acid fermentation of alcohols.
That is, acetic essence is an aqueous solution of acetic acid, having a concentration of from seventy to eighty percent. Since in undiluted form it can be harmful to health (burns, poisoning), in many countries it is released in a special glass container to prevent its erroneous use instead of other food liquids.
So what is this essence for? Despite the fact that in the preparation of many dishes, including salads, wine or apple vinegar is used, sometimes vinegar essence is simply necessary, mainly for the preparation and preservation of marinades for the winter. Of course, it is used only in diluted form.
How to dilute vinegar essence?
Of course, some mathematical knowledge is needed to get the right proportion. For example, one cannot do without the ability to calculate the percentage ratio. As noted above, vinegar essence is
70- or 80% acetic acid solution . Therefore, to obtain
one liter of 3 percent vinegar, which is most often used in salads and other dishes, the vinegar essence must be diluted with distilled or simply boiled water in the following proportion: one part of the essence must be diluted with twenty-five parts of water. And to get six percent vinegar, you must adhere to a proportion of one to seven, i.e. to one part of the essence add seven parts of water. As for the seventy percent essence, in this case, to obtain three percent vinegar, you need to dilute it with 22 parts of water. For six percent vinegar, the ratio is one to eleven.
How to store vinegar essence?
The best material for storing the specified product is glass. In no case should you pour this liquid into metal containers. When pouring from one container to another, you must follow safety precautions, do not spray or touch with your bare hands, otherwise a burn may occur at the point of contact. Also, you can not inhale the smell of essence, so as not to poison and not damage the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. Keep the product out of the reach of children in a tightly sealed bottle. By the way, the higher the percentage of vinegar essence, the higher the likelihood of poisoning by it.
Culinary Tips
When preserving vegetable marinades, chefs advise the vinegar essence to be put in jars at the very last moment before rolling. And since vinegar essence is a very concentrated product, it must be used carefully, strictly observing the proportions. For example, in cooking, when preparing marinades for one liter jar, it is recommended to use one teaspoon of essence.