Hi Ronnie, I always buy balsamic vinegar to use in salad dressing. I bought some that doesn't seem to have enough body for that purpose. I'm thinking about reducing it to a syrupy consistency to intensify the flavor. Then.....what do I do with it?
Asked by
linda449
You can try that but I don’t think that’s the right answer. Balsamic vinegars, which are made from grapes (specifically late harvest Trebbiano) rather than wine, are like wines in one way — some are great, some awful. Look at the label to make sure there’s no added stuff like “caramel”. You want an authentic vinegar, without any extras. Look for a good brand, maybe with some age, but don’t be fooled by a fancy bottle. Some are more expensive but you will use less of it when the flavor is right (in fact if you are making a classic red wine vinaigrette and substituting Balsamic vinegar you should use less vinegar). When you find a brand, stick with it. The flavor should be complex and vaguely sweet, the color dark. It also should be thicker than regular wine vinegar.
Many people always use Balsamic vinegar for salad. That’s fine, but you might find that salads can be more varied and enjoyable if you use a variety of acidic ingredients instead of Balsamic vinegar, which might be too sweet for some salads. A salad with fish, for example, might do better with a lemon-vinaigrette or one made with white wine vinegar. A salad with chicken would pair well with a sherry wine vinaigrette. Even a simple green salad (plus tomatoes) might be tastier with a good red wine vinegar as a change of pace.
Some acidic liquids you can try as an alternative to Balsamic vinegar are champagne vinegar, sherry vinegar, lemon-lime-orange-or grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice, plain red wine vinegar. There are a lot of delicious products out there.
