Introduction: Vinegar is one of the most commonly used condiments, however, using it a lot doesn't necessarily mean you know how to use it properly. Take a look at these clever uses of vinegar in cooking, how many of them do you know?
Remove fishy and gamey smells. One of the main components of vinegar is acetic acid, which helps to reduce odors. Therefore, adding a small amount of vinegar when cooking fish can reduce the fishy taste. Adding some vinegar when stewing mutton can remove the gamey smell.
Bactericidal and preservative. When making cold dishes like cucumber salad or shredded radish, you can add some vinegar because vinegar inhibits bacterial growth, improving the safety of cold dishes. In addition, when making pickled garlic, cucumber, and other pickles, you can also add vinegar to prevent spoilage. Moreover, vinegar can reduce the production of nitrites and to a large extent protect the vitamin C in the food from being destroyed.
Enhance umami and cut through grease. Adding vinegar when cooking greasy food, or dipping dumplings in vinegar, can reduce the greasy feeling and make it less heavy. Additionally, vinegar can enhance the umami and aroma, because during the fermentation process of grains turning into vinegar, a large amount of umami and aromatic substances are produced.
Enhance saltiness. In cooking, using more sour condiments can enhance the salty taste and reduce salt intake. This is because the taste cells that sense sourness are located on the sides of the middle of the tongue, adjacent to the area that senses saltiness. This means that eating something sour can increase the taste buds' sensitivity to salt.
Mellow spiciness. The acetic acid in vinegar can neutralize the spicy taste, reducing its irritation. If you add too much chili when stir-frying, you can add some vinegar. When eating in a restaurant, if the dish is too spicy, you can also ask for a small dish of vinegar to dip your food in.
Neutralize the alkaline taste. When steamed buns and other flour-based foods are made, if too much alkali is added, a small amount of vinegar can be added to neutralize the alkali, reducing the alkaline taste in the food. In addition, vinegar has a bacteriostatic effect, and adding a little when making flour-based foods can prevent them from getting moldy.
Maintain the color of vegetables. Purple-red vegetables like purple cabbage and eggplant are rich in anthocyanins, which can easily change color and turn black in an alkaline environment, making the cooked dish look unattractive. When cooking such vegetables, a little vinegar can be added. Vinegar contains organic acids such as acetic acid and lactic acid, which can keep these vegetables bright and red.
Make the food texture crisp and tender. Before stir-frying shredded potatoes, soak them in water with a little vinegar. This not only reduces the loss of vitamins and minerals in the shredded potatoes but also makes their texture crisp, not sticky or pasty. The vinegar should be added during the step of washing the shredded potatoes because potatoes are rich in polyphenols, which are prone to oxidation after being cut. Soaking them in vinegar can inhibit the activity of oxidase, making them less likely to change color. The same applies to vegetables like lotus root.
Make ingredients cook faster. Vinegar contains organic acids, so adding some when stewing beef or mutton can make the meat more tender. It is generally best to add it when the meat is half-cooked. When stewing kelp, you can also add vinegar because kelp contains alginic acid and other gelatinous substances that are not water-soluble. Adding vinegar can break down these gelatinous substances that block water from entering, allowing the kelp to cook quickly.
Promote calcium dissolution. Acetic acid can soften bones and promote the dissolution of calcium from bones. Therefore, adding vinegar when making fish soup or pork rib soup can dissolve calcium into the soup, enhancing the body's absorption of calcium.