The History of Vinegar

Vinegar was discovered by accident 10,000 years ago and it is still has many uses today. The French name for vinegar, vin aigre, means sour wine and that is exactly what the first vinegar was.

It has been made of several things over the centuries but the principle remains the same. Fermentation of natural sugars to form alcohol and then secondary fermentation to form vinegar.

Today the four main sorts of vinegar used are:- malt, white spirit, wine and cider. There are also many specialised vinegars including balsamic and East Asian Black.

NB All the recipes here use white spirit vinegar unless otherwise stated.

 

Medical

 

1 Arthritis tonic and treatment.

2 spoonfuls of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of water. Drink several times a day.

2 Skin burns.

Apply ice cold vinegar right away for fast relief. Will prevent burn blisters.

3 Respiratory congestion.

Inhale a vapour mist made from boiling water and several spoonfuls of vinegar.

4 Chapped and swollen skin.

Rub vinegar on the sore areas of skin. It also relieves sunburn.

5 Stop insect stings and bites from stinging.

Dab with cotton wool soaked with undiluted vinegar.

6 For cuts and scrapes use vinegar as an antiseptic.

7 If commercial aftershaves cause rashes and itches, try using a drop of undiluted vinegar as an aftershave lotion.

8 Clean a hairbrush by soaking in a 50/50 water/vinegar solution.

9 Eliminate bad breath and whiten your teeth by brushing once a week with vinegar. Take care that you do not do this too often as it can damage your tooth enamel.

10 Get rid of foul odour by washing feet well with antiseptic soap daily, then soaking then in undiluted cider vinegar for ten minutes or so.

 

In The Home.

 

1 Remove stains from stainless steel and chrome with a vinegar dampened cloth.

2 Prevent grease build up in your oven by frequently wiping with vinegar.

3 Clean windows with vinegar and water and polish off with newspaper. It will give you a good shine without too much work.

4 Pour boiling vinegar down drains to unclog and clean them.

5 For an all purpose cleaner mix vinegar with salt. It will clean copper, bronze, brass, pots and pans, dishes and glass.

6 To remove lime in your kettle add vinegar to the water and let it stand overnight. Then rinse thoroughly.

7 Add vinegar to laundry rinse water. It helps remove soap and prevents yellowing.

8 Get rid of odours in waste bins by washing out with vinegar. If you have a garbage disposal unit make ice cubes from vinegar and run several through the unit while flushing with cold water.

9 Remove stains on coffee and tea cups by washing the insides with vinegar.

10 Discourage ants by spraying areas where they are coming in with undiluted vinegar.

 

Cooking.

 

1 Add a spoonful of vinegar to cooking water to make cauliflower white and clean. It also takes away the smell.

2 when boiling eggs add some vinegar to the water to prevent the white leaking out of a cracked egg.

3 Add a teaspoonful of vinegar when cooking fruit to improve the taste.

4 Add vinegar to boiling ham to improve the flavour and cut the salty taste.

5 Steep your favourite herb in vinegar until you have a pleasing taste and aroma. You can do this with olive oil too. If you use a fancy bottle it would make a good present for someone who likes cooking.

6 For a fluffy meringue beat three egg whites with a teaspoon of vinegar.

7 For a shiny crust on homemade bread, just before it has finished baking, brush with vinegar.

8 Marinade tough meat in vinegar overnight to tenderise.

9 Make pasta less sticky and reduce some of the starch by adding a dash of vinegar to the water as it cooks.

10 Perk up any soup or sauce with a teaspoon of red or white wine vinegar.

 

Do It Yourself.

1 Half a teaspoon of vinegar in a quart of patching plaster allows more time to work the plaster before it hardens.

2 Paint adheres to galvanised metal that has been wiped with vinegar.

3 Reduce lime build ups in heating pipes and radiators by introducing vinegar into the system.

4 Hardened paint brushes should be simmered in vinegar and then washed in hot soapy water.

5 Soak rusty bolts and screws with vinegar to make then easier to remove.

6 Clean rust from tools by soaking them in vinegar.

7 To loosen old glue around joints in furniture apply vinegar with a small oil can. It can then be removed.

8 If you get paint on the glass when you are painting window frames use a little warm vinegar on a cloth to remove.

9 To remove wallpaper, mix a solution of half water/vinegar and soak the paper with it. Pull the paper off gently and wash the glue off the wall.

10 Vinegar can be used with water based inks to make a wonderful stain for wood. Pour vinegar into a mixing jar, add the ink until the required colour is reached and apply to wood with a rag or brush. The finish is the colour of the tint with a silvery sheen.

 

Animals

 

1 Remove pets odour by rubbing their coats with a diluted solution of vinegar. One cup of vinegar to a quart of water.

2 Add vinegar to pets water. This will eliminate odour and give a shiny coat.

3 If you keep poultry add vinegar to their water to increase egg production and produce tender meat.

4 Keep a dog from scratching its ears by regularly wiping them with undiluted vinegar.

5 Keep pet bowls clean by washing in vinegar and then hot soapy water.

6 Cats hate the smell of vinegar. If you find they are marking their territory around the house spray the area with vinegar and then rinse off.

7 Stop a dog from barking with a spray bottle with equal amounts of vinegar/water. When the dog barks spray it with the mixture but not in the face.

8 Remove cat litter odour by soaking the tray in vinegar and then refilling.

9 Get rid of the deposits and water lines that form on aquariums and fish bowls by wiping them down with vinegar and rinsing well. If there are stubborn stains soak overnight.

10 Keep flies away from horses and other outdoor pets by spraying the area with a half water/vinegar mix.

 

Your Car.

 

1 Keep car windows frost free overnight by wiping them with three parts vinegar and one part water.

2 Remove unwanted stickers by covering with a cloth soaked in vinegar. They should peel off in a couple of hours.

3 Rid the windscreen wipers of grime by wiping them with a vinegar soaked cloth.

4 Get rid of the odour of someone being travel sick by leaving a bowl of vinegar in the car overnight.

5 Wipe vinyl with a mixture of half vinegar/water.

6 Remove dirt and stains from car carpeting with the half and half mixture.

7 Make your car extra shiny by adding a few drops of vinegar to your bucket of water.

8 Give leather upholstery an extra shine by cleaning it with hot vinegar and rinsing with soapy water. Do not get the leather too wet.

9 Remove the hazy film that builds up inside windows by spraying with vinegar and wiping off.

10 Get rid of hard water stains on your car with a rinse of three parts soft water to one part vinegar.

 

Gardening.

 

1 Kill weeds by pouring undiluted vinegar on them. Especially good for crevices and cracks in paths and driveways.

2 Put some vinegar in the water of acid loving plants no and again.

3 Discourage cats from getting into the children’s sandpit by spraying with vinegar.

4 Clean plant pots with vinegar. This kills bugs.

5 Clean the birdbath and feeders with vinegar. This will combat any disease.

6 Keep rabbits from eating your plants by putting cotton wool balls soaked in vinegar in a 35mm film container. Place by the plants.

7 Sanitise outdoor furniture with a cloth soaked in vinegar.

8 Kill slugs by spraying with vinegar.

9 Avoid skin problems after working in the garden by rinsing your hands in vinegar.

10 Keep cut flowers fresh by adding two tablespoons of vinegar and one teaspoon of sugar to a quart of water in the vase.

 

If you are using warm vinegar please make sure you do it in a well ventilated area as it will give off fumes.