apple cider vinegar
Also known as: cider vinegar
Vinegar made from fermented apple cider; milder and fruitier than white vinegar, common in dressings, marinades, and pickling.
Buying guidance
Plain apple cider vinegar; the cloudy unfiltered "with the mother" kind makes no meaningful difference in cooking. Added off the heat at the end, a spoonful of vinegar is the most effective way to make a long-cooked dish taste alive rather than flat -- if something tastes muddy or heavy, the answer is usually acid, not more salt.
Substitutions
- White wine vinegar -- cleaner, works well.
- Distilled white vinegar -- sharper and more aggressive; start with about two-thirds as much.
- Fresh lemon juice -- use about half again as much; brighter, slightly different in character.
- A splash of pickle brine -- unorthodox, surprisingly effective.
Tips & common mistakes
Heat mellows vinegar's sharpness, so a splash that tastes assertively sour on its own will read as much milder once it's had a chance to cook into something hot -- taste and adjust after it's simmered in, not just when it first hits the pan.
Storage
Vinegar's acidity makes it essentially self-preserving -- it doesn't need refrigeration and won't spoil from age the way most condiments do. Unfiltered vinegar's cloudy "mother" sediment settles to the bottom on standing, so shake the bottle before measuring to keep the acidity consistent from the first pour to the last.