Vinegar essence is a solution consisting of 20% water and 80% concentrated acetic acid. According to organoleptic indicators, it is a colorless liquid with a sharp, specific odor and sour taste.
Food vinegar essence is obtained not by combining acid with water, but by distilling 5% vinegar formed naturally when wine sours. Pure acid can only be removed chemically by treating acetates with sulfuric acid.
Curious! 100% acetic acid is called glacial acid because when cooled to 17 ° C it turns into ice-like crystals.
IN home cooking we often encounter not the essence itself, but its aqueous solution from 3 to 13%, known as table vinegar. However, for the preparation of some marinades and canned products, a 70% acid solution is required. What to do if you don’t have it at hand? Is it possible and, if so, how can I replace vinegar essence with 9% vinegar?
Interchangeability of essence and vinegar
In fact, these 2 liquids are completely interchangeable, since they are made from the same raw materials and differ only in concentration.
For example, 9% vinegar consists of 1 part essence and 7 parts water. Those. 8 spoons of 9% vinegar contain 1 spoon of essence and 7 water. Their ratio is 1 to 7.
Knowing correct ratio essences and water in table vinegar of a certain concentration, you can easily calculate required amount components mixed to obtain it:
- 3% - 1 ml of essence and 20 ml of liquid (1:20);
- 4% - 1 ml of acid and 17 ml of water (1:17);
- 5% - 1 ml vinegar essence and 13 ml of liquid (1:13);
- 6% - 1 ml of food acid and 11 ml of water (1:11);
- 9% - 1 ml of essence and 7 ml of liquid (1:7).
Important! Vinegar essence can be dangerous in pure form. Only 20 ml of product are lethal dose for humans, therefore, when manipulating it, strictly observe proportions and caution.
How to replace essence with ordinary vinegar
You can also make calculations in the opposite direction to find out how much vinegar you need to take instead of 70% food essence. But since there is more water in a dilute solution than in a concentrated solution, you will have to add less liquid to the brine.
Let's look at the example of 9% vinegar. It consists of 8 parts, 1 of which is acid and the remaining 7 are water. Therefore, to replace 1 tsp. essences take 8 tsp. vinegar and subtract 7 tsp from the liquid specified in the recipe.
Or this: 100 ml of essence = 800 mg of 9 vinegar, in which 100 mg is acid and 700 is water.
With the help of such simple mathematical calculations, you can create a pattern according to which 1 tsp. essences are:
- 21 tsp. vinegar 3%, minus 20 tsp. marinade water;
- 18 tsp. 4% solution and subtract 17 tsp. liquids;
- 14 tsp. vinegar 5%, minus 13 tsp. water;
- 12 tsp. 6% solution, subtract 11 tsp. liquids;
- 8 tsp. vinegar 9% and minus 7 tsp. water.
On a note! One tablespoon contains 15 ml of vinegar. In the tea room - 5 ml.
Calculation example:
Let’s say that according to the recipe you need to pour 20 g of vinegar essence into the brine. How much 9% vinegar will you need?
- To make it easier to calculate, you can use the general formula:
(V1 * 70%) / 9% = V2 , Where V1- volume of essence, and V2- volume of vinegar. - We get: V2= 20 * 70% / 9% = 155.5 ml.
- Plus, don't forget that these 160 ml consist of 20 ml of essence and 140 ml of water, because their ratio is 1:7. This means that 140 ml less liquid should be added to the dish.
Curious! On the labels industrial products vinegar essence is designated as food supplement- E260.
How else can you get an equivalent replacement for essence?
Instead of the usual vinegar, you can add dry ingredients to marinades when canning. citric acid. This is a concentrated dry product in crystals, widely used in cooking for canning and making drinks.
Depending on how you dilute it, citric acid can replace vinegar of one or another concentration.
For one teaspoon of citric acid you will need:
- 9% - 14 tbsp. l. water.
- 6% - 22 tbsp. l. liquids.
- 5% - 29 tbsp. l. water.
- 4% - 34 tbsp. l. liquids.
- 3% - at 46 tbsp. l. water.
And if you dilute 1 tbsp. l. citric acid two tbsp. l. water, it will be a good substitute for 70% vinegar essence!
The canning process is not complete without the use of acetic acid. She gives spicy taste, which most of us like so much, and also prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria that can ruin the entire workpiece. Today, housewives can no longer imagine how to do without this simple, but such an important component. What about those who cannot drink vinegar for health reasons? Is it really necessary to completely abandon homemade preparations? No! Citric acid can be used instead of vinegar. We'll look at the proportions in today's article.
What is vinegar?
We are so used to using it that we almost never think about this issue. Acetic essence is a solution that consists of 80% concentrated acid and 20% water. It is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor and specific properties. There are two ways to get this substance. The first is the distillation of vinegar, which is formed by the natural souring of wine. And pure acid is obtained through a special chemical process.
Clean product
If we take 100% acid, it is a very interesting product. When cooled to 17 degrees, it becomes not just icy, but crystallizes. This amazing phenomenon cannot be observed at home, because it is not sold in stores in this form. In home cooking we do not encounter such a substance. Typically a 70% acid solution is required. But most often housewives deal with an aqueous solution called table vinegar. Its concentration ranges from 3 to 13%, and this is quite enough for preparing most dishes. You can use citric acid instead of vinegar. Let's look at the proportions a little lower. In the meantime, let's decide what manipulations need to be done with the essence to get a product of the required concentration.
If the original product is an essence
Standardly in the store it has a concentration of 70%. We will focus on this indicator. Before you figure out the proportions of citric acid instead of vinegar, you need to understand what is considered such.
- If you need a 3% solution, then take 1 teaspoon of essence, dilute it with 23 teaspoons of water. This procedure can be done in advance. To do this, take an empty bottle and pour the prepared solution into it. Now it will be safely stored in the closet.
- A 4% solution is made by mixing one spoon of essence and 17 spoons of water.
- 5% - 1/13.
- 6% - 1/11.
- 9% - 1/7.
Each of these solutions can be transformed into a weaker one by adding water.
Lemon acid
Many people prefer to use it in the kitchen as an acidifier. In what proportions is citric acid used instead of vinegar without damaging ready-made dish? Professional chefs recommended for liter jar put 2 tablespoons of citrus juice or 0.5 teaspoon. powder. Please note that we are talking about bottled juice here. If you want to use freshly squeezed citrus, then you need to change the proportions a little. Citric acid instead of vinegar in this case can be used as follows. Instead of one spoon of 6% vinegar, you will need to take approximately 50 g of juice squeezed from citrus.
For canning and salads
You can safely use citric acid instead of vinegar. Proportions for preservation are taken based on the characteristics of the recipe and the products used. For example, for 0.5 liters tomato juice you only need 1 g of citric acid. It can be diluted directly in a teaspoon and poured into the juice at the right time. It is best to find an adapted recipe, but you are also allowed to experiment on your own. To do this, we present the following proportions.
How to dilute dry powder
What to do if the recipe specifies essence? You can use the following memo and use it to perform not too complicated calculations. The relationship between essence and table vinegar with citric acid. Dry crystals need to be diluted plain water. In order to obtain a 70% essence substitute, you will need to dilute a tablespoon of acid in two tablespoons of water. This solution must be taken in accordance with the recipe, how much essence is indicated. For example, a teaspoon.
- if you add one citric acid to 14 parts of water, you will get a solution equal to 9% table vinegar;
- for an analogue of 6% you will need to take 1/22;
- 5% vinegar is obtained by mixing 1 part citric acid and 26 parts water;
- 4% - we breed 1 to 34;
- 3% - 1 in 46.
Now you know how much citric acid instead of vinegar will be needed to prepare the desired solution. What’s remarkable is that no special conditions are needed. Just a clean bottle, water and lemon powder, which is available in any store. In terms of cost, such a solution will be even cheaper than vinegar.
We weigh without scales
It’s hard to even imagine how many industries Food Industry Citric acid is used instead of vinegar. The proportions per liter are approximately ½ teaspoon - this is a universal formula that can be used in most recipes. By the way, if you take a level teaspoon, it will be 5 grams of citric acid. The product is widely used; sauces cannot be made without it. This is an essential component of cold drinks. IN confectionery industry also nowhere without her. Lemon is often added as a preservative to increase the shelf life of products. In particular, it is added to some canned foods. It is simply impossible to find an equally simple and safe acidifier in cooking. Plus, it doesn't have as strong a taste as vinegar. Sometimes you can use pure lemon juice. However, this is an option that is ideal for salads and not for canning. Citric acid is not only safer than vinegar, but is also beneficial for the body in moderation.
Instead of a conclusion
Not all winter preparations can be made using citric acid. Cucumbers and eggplants do not like such a replacement; they can greatly change their taste. Therefore, it is most often used for sweet compotes and desserts. Tomato juice with the addition of lemon also works well. Try, experiment, but small quantities. Perhaps you will find exactly the one unique recipe, which will become a favorite in your cookbook.
Let's talk about those acids that we most often use in food, for canning or for acidifying foods.
Many people have problems with how to dilute vinegar in the required proportion, because vinegar essence contains 70% acid, and recipes require a 9% or even 5% vinegar solution.
We’ll also tell you how to replace your usual vinegar with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice?
How to dilute vinegar essence? (to get vinegar)
How to divorce vinegar from 70% vinegar essence:
9% vinegar, you need to take one part of the essence and add seven parts of water (1 tablespoon of essence and 7 tablespoons of water)
6% vinegar- add 11 parts of water to one part of essence (1 tablespoon of essence and 11 tablespoons of water)
5% vinegar- add 13 parts of water to one part of essence (1 tablespoon of essence and 13 tablespoons of water)
4% vinegar- add 17 parts of water to one part of essence (1 tablespoon of essence and 17 tablespoons of water)
3% vinegar- add 23 parts of water to one part of essence (1 tablespoon of essence and 23 tablespoons of water)
So, if you need 1 tablespoon of 70% vinegar essence, but you only have 5% vinegar, and its concentration is 13 times less, then you need to add 13 tablespoons of 5% vinegar.
Another point to consider is that if the recipe says 1 tablespoon of vinegar essence 70%, and you replace the essence with vinegar in the required proportion, then take not 1 liter of water, but several tablespoons less. That is, 5% vinegar 7 tablespoons and MINUS 13 tablespoons of water.
If you need to add 1 tablespoon of 70% vinegar essence, and you only have 9% vinegar, then you need to add 7 tablespoons of 9% vinegar.
Table vinegar (9%) can be replaced with apple cider vinegar.
But you need to understand that Apple vinegar 5% is sold, that is, to use it instead of 9% vinegar, you will need 2 times more apple cider vinegar. Instead of 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar, take 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar, grape (wine) vinegar, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar and others are most often used NOT for canning, but for dishes (borscht, salads, dressings) or marinating meat and fish. Since they still have their own specific taste, introduce them into your family’s diet carefully, because as you know, we are often conservative in our tastes, especially children.
You need to be even more careful if someone in the family has gastritis, ulcers or colitis, as well as
How to use citric acid for canning.
Most often in recipes you can find 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of lemon powder per 1 liter of water or for ready-made canned food per liter jar. On half liter jar(For example, tomato juice ) you will need 1 tablespoon lemon juice from a bottle or 1/4 teaspoon dry lemon powder.
Please note that bottled lemon juice and freshly squeezed lemon juice are not the same thing. And to dress the salad, instead of one tablespoon of 6% vinegar, you will need two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
How to dilute dry citric acid?
If we need to dilute citric acid instead of vinegar, which is written in the recipe, then use our instructions. We indicated the percentage of vinegar and the amount of citric acid (dry).
Dilute citric acid crystals with water in the following proportion:
- 1 tablespoon dry citric acid on 2 tablespoons water . You can do it substitute for 70% vinegar essence . (i.e. you need to take as much lemon solution as the vinegar essence indicated in the recipe - 1 teaspoon, for example)
- 1 teaspoon dry citric acid on 14 tablespoons water . You can do it substitute 9% vinegar .
- 1 teaspoon of dry citric acid per 22 tablespoons of water. You will have a substitute for 6% vinegar.
- 1 teaspoon of dry citric acid per 26 tablespoons of water. You will have a 5% vinegar substitute.
- 1 teaspoon of dry citric acid per 34 tablespoons of water. You will have a substitute for 4% vinegar.
- 1 teaspoon of dry citric acid per 46 tablespoons of water. You will have a substitute for 3% vinegar.
Food additive E330 is citric acid, produced in accordance with GOST 53040-2008 (old GOST 3652-69). By the way, citric acid is safe for the human body and does not irritate the mucous membranes of the respiratory and digestive tract.
Citric acid is a product that can be found in any home. It is widely used for cooking various dishes, and in everyday life, as a cleaning agent or as a component for whitening lotion, hair rinse. Some simple tips will tell you how to replace citric acid if it has run out.
Curious! Citric acid was first obtained from unripe lemons, hence its name. The first to synthesize it was the Swedish pharmacist Karl Schleele in 1784. Now it is obtained synthetically from beets.
Citrus fruits instead of citric acid
- The most natural alternative to citric acid when preparing various dishes is regular lemon or lime.
On note! The juice of 1 lemon can replace 1 teaspoon of citric acid. When preparing desserts, to replace citric acid, a few drops to 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice will be enough.
- If you don’t have lemon on hand, oranges or tangerines will do the job of replacing citric acid.
On a note! Citrus fruits will not only provide the necessary acidity to the dish, but will also enrich its aroma and taste.
The most successful option would be to replace citric acid with citrus fruits when preparing:
- creams: protein, butter, custard;
- sweets;
- meringue;
- mousse;
- syrups;
- baking powder for dough;
- fillings for pies, pastries and cakes.
Citric acid is added to the dough to give baked goods good taste with a slight sourness. Using instead citrus zest, vanillin or cinnamon, you can get not only tasty, but also very aromatic baked goods.
On a note! A few drops of lemon juice will allow you to easily whip the whites into a strong foam, prevent it from settling, and make it snow-white.
Citric acid, being an excellent anti-crystallizer, is an integral component of syrup and fondant recipes. Thanks to its addition in a strictly defined concentration, you can get a thick, non-candied syrup that is perfectly whipped into fudge. Replacing the acid with lemon, you will have to play around to achieve the required concentration of acid in the product.
How to replace citric acid in canning
When preparing compote, jam or jam from serviceberry, quince, gooseberry or chokeberry There is no way to do without citric acid, because it is what gives them their piquant sourness. IN in this case Instead of citric acid, you can use orange or lemon zest and citrus juice or applesauce and zest.
Sour berries instead of citric acid
Citric acid is a component often used in preservation to highlight the taste of sweet berries and fruits or to protect compotes and jams from spoilage. Some recipes for canned and pickled vegetables also recommend using citric acid as a preservative. Typically, recommendations to replace vinegar with citric acid are associated with gastrointestinal problems. But if citric acid is not on hand, then you can use whole berries instead:
- red currant;
- cranberries;
- lingonberries.
Sour berries will add an original flavor to pickled cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes.
On a note! Instead of citric acid when canning vegetables, you can use the following in a 1 liter jar:
- 200 g red currants or,
- 200 g rowan or,
- 100 g lingonberries or,
- 100 g cranberries or,
- 100 g Chinese lemongrass or,
- 0.5 liters of fresh tomato juice or,
- 100 g sorrel or,
- 1 sour apple or,
- ½ small bunch of grapes or,
- juice of ½ lemon.
The berries are washed and placed in jars with vegetables, and it is recommended to pre-boil and puree the sorrel, and then add it to the jars. Based on sorrel decoction, you can prepare an excellent brine for pickling cucumbers.
By using sour berries, fruits and vegetables as natural preservatives, homemade preparations will become not only tastier, but also healthier.
Natural juice instead of citric acid
Juices obtained from fruits and berries contain a significant amount of organic acids and are quite capable of replacing citric acid in the preparation of some dishes:
- desserts;
- compotes, jelly and other drinks;
- jams and marinades;
- sauces and gravy.
On a note! Citric acid is often used as an essential component of meat marinades. For example, a leg of lamb is marinated in a marinade with the addition of citric acid: ¼ teaspoon per 2 kg of meat with bone. In this case, instead of acid, you can use grape or pomegranate juice. They will not only make the meat tender, but also add a pleasant taste.
For these purposes, it is better to use natural, unsweetened juice:
- grape;
- pomegranate;
- cherry;
- cranberry;
- apple.
On a note! Sour fruit or berry juice, added when cooking jam, will allow the fruit not to lose its attractive appearance and the jam not to become sugary.
Vinegar instead of citric acid
When preparing marinade for cucumbers and other vegetables, you can use vinegar instead of citric acid:
- apple;
- wine;
- dining room
Natural fruit vinegar, obtained by microbiological method, retains all the bioactive substances contained in the fruit, so replacing the acid with natural fruit vinegar will only bring health benefits.
Apple and vinegar can also be used instead of citric acid when preparing dishes from fruits and berries. It will be enough to add 1-2 teaspoons of fruit vinegar at the end of cooking.
On a note! 5 teaspoons of 3% vinegar can replace 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid. 4 teaspoons of 9% vinegar will replace 1 teaspoon of citric acid.
In everyday life, citric acid is actively used to descale teapots. In this situation, table vinegar and soda can replace it.
As you can see, there are many ways to replace citric acid. Some of them, in their qualities, not only fully compensate for the lack of citric acid, but also improve the taste and aroma of the dish. In some cases, replacing citric acid is quite troublesome, since it requires experience to adjust the desired percentage of acidity of the dish.
Canning without vinegar. What to replace vinegar with? AdviсeAmong home-canned vegetables, marinades are especially popular. Usage large quantity table vinegar in such homemade preparations makes them shelf-stable, but far from useful. Vinegar is an aggressive product and a love of pickled vegetables can lead to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
You can do it without vinegar! Housewives know the insidious property of table vinegar to irritate the gastric mucosa and cause heartburn. Therefore, when home canning Many people replace vinegar with less harmful preservatives.
There are many recipes for homemade preparations without table vinegar, which in their own way taste qualities They are in no way inferior to everyone’s favorite marinades. So what can you replace vinegar with?
Vodka or citric acid?
Canning without vinegar involves replacing it with the same powerful preservative that suppresses the growth of microflora. In addition, vinegar gives vegetables that sourness that is so beloved in marinades.
The most popular substitute for vinegar in home canning is citric acid. Marinades with it do not taste as sharp, and preparations with citric acid are stored even better than vinegar ones. Usually a teaspoon of powder is placed on a 3-liter jar. It is believed that 1 g of citric acid ≈ 10 g of vinegar 3%.
You can notice the vinegar and redcurrant juice. Red currants are poured into jars with prepared cucumbers so that they fill the voids between the cucumbers. Pour boiling water with salt (60 grams of salt per 1 liter of water) and sterilize. Cucumbers keep well and have a pleasant “pickled” taste.
Another pretty one original way canning without vinegar. In cucumbers already filled hot water with salt and spices, add...vodka just before capping! For a 3-liter jar, 2 tablespoons are enough. IN finished product you don’t feel the alcohol, but these preparations last all winter at room temperature no problem.
Regular table vinegar can be replaced with apple or wine vinegar. These vinegars are natural products, obtained by microbiological method from apple and grape raw materials and preserved beneficial features fresh fruit. Their use in canning will only bring benefits. The proportions for use are the same as for table vinegar.
Table vinegar is not the only acidic preservative for cooking homemade marinade. You can preserve without vinegar and enjoy your favorite homemade preparations.
Image sources: webgramota.ru, website.
How to replace vinegar in dishes?
Irina Kosheleva
Vinegar adds flavor to many dishes. For example, a salad with cabbage and carrots is bland in itself. And if you add vinegar, it turns out very tasty. But how can you replace vinegar if you suddenly don’t have it on hand?
To prepare light salads, vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice. This is both healthier and less likely to over-acidify. If you don’t have lemon on hand, you can add a pinch of citric acid. But then you need to mix the ingredients thoroughly so that you don’t get all the acid in one place.
Conservation
Many people wonder what can replace vinegar when preserving. Citric acid will help you here too. On three-liter jar Usually a teaspoon is needed. If you have other volumes, then proceed from the proportion 5:2. That is, 100 g of vinegar can be replaced with 40 g of citric acid.
In order to prepare sushi rice, you need to add special vinegar to it. Thanks to it, it becomes softer, does not stick to your hands as much during cooking, and gives the sushi a spiciness. But how can you replace rice vinegar without spoiling the dish?
You can replace sushi vinegar by preparing a mixture of regular vinegar, salt and sugar. To do this, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and one and a half teaspoons of salt to a third of a glass of ordinary table vinegar 9%. The entire mixture must be thoroughly stirred until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
In principle, rice vinegar can be replaced with ordinary, but more gentle varieties. For example, apple or wine vinegar. Rice vinegar It differs from the usual one only in its softness and not so rich concentration. Therefore, when consuming other varieties, you should slightly reduce the dose.
When preparing rolls or sushi, take a container of water and lemon juice and constantly wet your hands in it. Thanks to this, the rice will not stick to your hands, and the nori will stick better.
Balsamic vinegar
Although balsamic vinegar is used in many recipes, the original product is very expensive. Making vinegar takes about 10 or even more years. In this case, 85% of the vinegar is lost, which significantly affects the price. But by learning how to replace balsamic vinegar, you can save money and get almost the same quality.
There are younger ones balsamic vinegars, which do not have such a rich taste and color. They cost an order of magnitude cheaper, so they are quite suitable as a replacement.
You can also make it yourself using regular wine vinegar. To do this, add to it fragrant herbs lemon balm, chamomile, lavender and mint and let it brew for about a week.
Bon appetit and new culinary exploits!
