Balsamic vinegar: uses and benefits. Vinegar wine, balsamic, apple - which is better

Each of the varieties of vinegar has different properties that not only improve the organoleptic properties of dishes, but also affect our body. Balsamic vinegar is no exception. Application, benefits and harms, recipes for its use are in the center of our attention.

More than seasoning

Balsamic wine vinegar is a sweet and sour substance of a thick consistency, dark brown in color. Not the most common today, however, it has been known since the Middle Ages. In Italy at that time, it was considered a medicine, not a food product, it was seen as a panacea for almost all ailments. – from headaches to serious illnesses. For a long time, balsamic vinegar was considered useful precisely as a medicine, rather than as a food product. Its astringent and disinfectant properties have long been known, they treated wounds, and used it in inflammatory processes of the skin. It has been valued for centuries for its beneficial effects on pain associated with digestion (such as stomach ulcers). In addition, it was highly regarded as a product that supports the body in neutralizing toxins and improves intestinal motility.

Due to the high price of balsamic vinegar, or, as it is called, just balsamic, only rich people and nobles could afford it. It was so valuable that barrels of a mature, perennial product became part of the bride's dowry, they were entered into wills.

Balsamic Vinegar: Composition and Production

In the original version, it is made in Italy from red Lambrusco grapes or white Trebbiano grapes. Balsamic vinegar is obtained from grape must, that is, from freshly squeezed berry juice, which is then thickened as a result of long-term cooking. During heat treatment, about 1/3 of the water volume evaporates and the sugars contained in the grape juice (these fruits are very sweet) decompose. Also in future products, the Millard reaction occurs, that is, caramelization of simple sugars (glucose, fructose), which further gives the vinegar a characteristic dark brown color.

What happens next? Thickened fruit juice is poured into wooden barrels, where it is kept for at least 2 months (express option). At this time, fermentation occurs, as a result of which acetic acid and a small amount of tartaric acid are produced, as well as aromatic and flavor compounds are formed.

Making balsamic vinegar is a long, multi-year process that requires knowledge, experience and the application of certain rules. Manufacturers say time and patience are the most important ingredients. .

Balsamic vinegar: benefits and harms

The original, real "serious" balsamic vinegar is very expensive - due to the good quality of the ingredients, the long production process and the traditional recipe. Is it worth the effort to find a good, quality product? Let's find out what are its properties, what are the benefits and harms of balsamic vinegar.

Balsamic vinegar: the benefits of a natural product, use for treatment and recovery

Currently, there are no clinical studies that would confirm the beneficial properties of balsamic vinegar, its beneficial effects on the human body and the prevention of diseases. However, its composition is well known, and the substances present in it have proven important health properties. In folk medicine, balsamic vinegar and its benefits have been used for a very long time - as already mentioned, since the Middle Ages.

Pdigestion and weight control

Balsamic vinegar:

• improves bowel function;
• stimulates metabolism (acetic acid stimulates the body's production of digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract);
• a small spoonful of a mature product after a hearty meal perfectly stimulates digestion - the benefits will be felt immediately;
• balsamic vinegar is used for weight loss. It helps to maintain the feeling of satiety during meals and prolongs it after a meal, thus contributing to the loss of excess weight;
• low-calorie (calorie content of balsamic vinegar - about 80 calories per 100 grams);
• does not contain salt (can replace it in a salt-free diet), does not contain fat and cholesterol.

Aantioxidant action

This variety is characterized by a high content of polyphenols derived from grapes. Therefore, balsamic vinegar brings such benefits (with minimal harm):

• strengthens the immune system;
• reduces metabolic stress and destroys free radicals responsible for the aging of the body, contributing to the extinction of body cells and the development of diseases of civilization, that is, diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension and obesity;
• helps enzymes that decompose proteins into amino acids, improves metabolic processes.

TOvenous system

Balsamico:

• improves heart function by regulating blood pressure;
• has a low sodium content, but is characterized by a high content of potassium, useful for the work of the heart and blood vessels;
• improves the absorption of magnesium and calcium;
• the benefit is that it reduces the level of so-called "bad" cholesterol in the blood and therefore can prevent the development of atherosclerosis of the vessels.

Counteracting diabetes

Finds balsamic vinegar application in the prevention of diabetes. It protects the pancreatic beta cells responsible for producing insulin, which secrete this hormone in response to blood glucose levels. Their proper work protects against disease.

Wound healing

Balsamic vinegar benefits in that it has powerful disinfectant properties. If you add a teaspoon of the product to one quarter of a glass of water, you get a disinfectant liquid that can be used to wipe small wounds on the surface of the skin.

Harm of balsamic vinegar

So the benefits are impressive, but what about the pitfalls? Balsamic vinegar can only cause harm if used in large quantities. There are no contraindications, except for individual intolerance.

Balsamic vinegar use in the kitchen, recipes

How to use balsamic vinegar in cooking? Why add it? It has characteristic taste and aroma notes that appear during fermentation in wooden barrels with the participation of amino acids, as well as a sweet and sour taste, thick, viscous caramel-colored consistency. Sweet and sour notes are balanced, fruity or woody notes are also noticeable in the thick liquid.

Good balsamic vinegar is naturally thick, making it easy to measure out a small amount. No need to overdo it, because the main thing should still be the main taste of the dish. Just a few drops are enough to enrich the flavor range and give the dish nobility. A small bottle (250 ml) is enough for a long time. Traditional vinegar is expensive, and it is a pity to use it for marinades and in a warm form. It is better to use it raw, because then you can fully appreciate the taste of the product.

Balsamico, which is natural, is very common in the national Italian cuisine, where it is added to salty and sweet dishes, enriching the taste of easily digestible dishes and more difficult to digest, helping the body to process them.

So, balsamic vinegar is the most widely used. What specific recipes for its use are popular, what does it go well with?

• assupplements, dressings, stimulantsappetite

Pour olive oil into a small bowl and add a few drops of balsamic vinegar. The ratio is arbitrary, about ¼ balsamic and ¾ olive oil. Mix the contents, dip a piece of bread there. Vegetables cut into columns can also be immersed in the mixture: carrots, petiole celery, radishes, peppers, cucumbers.

The combination of olive oil and balsamic vinegar can be used in other ways. You can simply sprinkle dried and buttered bread with a few drops of balsamic;

• adding to vegetablesalads;
• ingredient sauces, in particular, sauceAthe vinaigrette. You can combine balsamic vinegar not only with good quality olive oil, but also with lemon juice, aromatic herbs, creating individual flavor compositions;
• various lettuce varieties;
• boiled vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower;
• carcassesothervegetables: pepper, zucchini, etc.
• risotto;
• fresh fruits and berries(not too acidic, e.g. melon, strawberry, grape, pear), fruit desserts;
• walnuts;
• pasta(including stuffed , for example, with spinach and ricotta, pumpkin, ham);
• boiledemeatO;
• meatO, cookede in the oven,on a spit and grill(beef tenderloin steak, chicken breasts);

Clue. If you have to use balsamic vinegar for meat, you should use a mature dressing, very fragrant and thick. And the meat should have its natural taste, not distorted by a large number of different spices. Then the composition of balsamic and meat will sound better.

• raw meat(tartare and carpaccio);
• raw fish(fish carpaccio, smoked salmon);
• long ripening cheeses parmigiano reggiano, grana padano);
• cream based desserts ( for example, vanilla or cream ice cream);
• a drop of balsamic vinegar on a cube dark bitter chocolate will give this combination an amazing sound.

How to use balsamic cream instead of vinegar?

Balsamic cream has a milder taste compared to very mature vinegar. It has a great advantage: it is easy for them to decorate dishes. In the blink of an eye, you can create an appetizing pattern on a salad, fillet or dessert. Balsamic cream is also used, combined with salads, vegetables and meat, boiled and grilled, fruits.

Balsamic vinegar: use in home cosmetology

This kind of vinegar can be used not only as an ingredient in delicious dishes, but also as a component of home cosmetics. Face masks or tonics prepared with its addition cleanse the skin of acne and improve its color and tone.

Such benefits can be safely extracted from it, since the use of a balsamic bite in cosmetology is not a “handicraft” method. It is actively used by cosmetic companies. Thanks to polyphenols, anthocyanins and tannins, the natural remedy slows down the aging process of the epidermis. By providing an antiseptic effect, it helps to improve the complexion and purify the skin. Balsamic vinegar is also added to products to reduce hair loss.

Known since the Middle Ages, balsamic vinegar today finds a variety of uses. It makes an interesting addition to a variety of dishes, ranging from light salads, desserts to warm dishes like pasta or rice. Consumed in small amounts, it stimulates the gastrointestinal tract and blood circulation. Even the appearance of balsamic vinegar can be beneficial, and harm in any of its incarnations is associated only with individual intolerance. Important conditions are a good exposure of a natural product and a sense of proportion in its use.

Vinegar balsamic not at all like traditional vinegar in our understanding. This is a unique thick sweet and sour seasoning that is obtained by processing grape must. A balsamic extract is made in exactly the same way as the main component in the production of wine.

Initially, it was obtained only from grape wines, but at present, culinary specialists also use the must of wines made from black currants, tangerines, pomegranates, apples, and figs. This amazing product is made even from coconut milk.

The fermentation of real balsamic vinegar can last from three to twelve years, although there is such information that the most expensive brands of the product have been aged for a century. A product of this quality fell exclusively on the tables of royal families, because the cost of such vinegar was and is incredibly high.

Based on these facts, we can conclude that the shelf life of real balsamic is unlimited. But this is with its proper preparation and storage of the seasoning in the proper conditions: in a dark and cool room in a tightly sealed glass container.

Ready-made balsamic vinegar is an ideal ingredient for many gourmet dishes and is rightfully considered the best vinegar in the world.

Cooking

The preparation of natural balsamic vinegar under industrial conditions is a complex process of processing the juice and has remained unchanged for many centuries. The distillation technique is a kind of GOST, so any deviation from it makes the product suitable exclusively for cooking.

The technology for the production of high-quality and tasty balsamic consists of the following steps:

• pressing light grapes to obtain juice;
• boiling (evaporation) of the product;
• cooling;
• thorough straining;
• insistence (excerpt).

Each process is given a certain time, and manufacturers carefully monitor this. The most responsible process in the preparation of vinegar is considered the final stage. During fermentation, balsamic is poured several times into wooden barrels made of different types of wood. Each time the vinegar acquires new flavor notes and changes its shade.

Thanks to its durability and control, natural balsamic has a dark chocolate color, a thick texture and a very pronounced aroma of the original grape variety, set off by a slight hint of wood.

After the desired fermentation time has elapsed, the balsamic vinegar is tested for suitability and its sale value is determined based on the quality indicators of the finished product.

The cost of real vinegar is quite high, so many manufacturers have learned to produce a "high-quality fake" based on wines, and most often they use red semi-dry for this purpose.

The list of ingredients of the budget version of balsamic vinegar may also include components such as:

• corn syrup, glucose or fructose as a sweetener;
• pectin and various types of starches, including modified ones, to give density;
• locust bean gum for product digestibility;

All of them are used in order to give the product the “right” taste and texture, because such vinegar will be suitable for food without infusion and aging. But it should be noted that, due to its artificial origin, it has a limited shelf life. It is not recommended to use an expired product for food.

Many housewives have repeatedly thought about the possibility of preparing an expensive component at home. Frankly, we want to say that this is impossible, because the technology is very laborious and has many secrets.

Enterprising housewives have learned to replace the product with homemade tinctures, which are made from cherries, citrus fruits and aromatic spices, and also replace it with apple cider vinegar. Of course, reviews of such products are quite good, but still these compositions lose to the original.

Composition, packaging and nutritional value

The composition of natural balsamic vinegar contains such components as:

• potassium;
• calcium;
• copper;
• iron;
• phosphorus;
• manganese;
• zinc;
• b vitamins,
• carotene;
• ascorbic acid.

The nutritional value of a natural product is low, and dosed use makes it almost invisible in the diet. Balsamic vinegar does not affect the BJU index, unlike wine vinegar, which, like alcohol, has a higher number of kilocalories.

A quality product must be packaged in glass containers with a tight-fitting stopper. In retail chains, you can find balsamic in the form of a spray or balsamic cream with flavors. The latter can be painted in different colors and have different flavors: honey, fruit and berry, creamy or classic. But they, like wine vinegar, can only be figuratively classified as an original product.

The difference between wine and balsamic vinegar

What is the difference between wine and balsamic vinegar? Out of ignorance, many housewives identify these two products, but in fact they are completely different things.

Wine vinegar is fermented wine. It is liquid and has the taste of very sour wine with a specific pungent smell of vinegar essence. It is this product that is used to speed up the maturation process of this thick balsamic vinegar.

Balsamic vinegar, on the other hand, is very thick, dark, and does not have a strong flavor.

How to choose?

How to choose a quality product, I would probably like to know every inquisitive housewife.

Making the right choice is pretty easy. It is enough just to carefully read the composition of the product and information about its manufacturer. Among the many companies that produce such products on the shelves, there are a huge number of conscientious and not so good ones. Therefore, in this section, I would like to pay special attention to the brands of vinegar, such as Tradizionale, Aceto balzamico di Modena, Condimento.

Which of these products to choose will directly depend on the financial capabilities and needs of the consumer. All of them differ in their quality characteristics and cost, but they are united by the fact that they are all made in Italy using old, centuries-old technologies. So, let's try to figure it out.

1. Balsamic with a name "Traditional" and DOP marking, is considered the most expensive and highest quality. It is this series of vinegar that is distinguished by the brilliance and density of the product. The age of such vinegar is easy to determine by the color of the label. A gold label indicates that the vinegar has been aged for more than 25 years, a silver label for at least 18 years, while a red label indicates that the vinegar has been fermented for 12 years. Vinegar of this quality can be used for medicinal purposes, because it will be completely natural and will benefit the body.
2. Vinegar, on the bottles of which you can see such a name as "Aceto balzamico di Modena" with the abbreviation IGP, is undoubtedly the same real vinegar, produced and quality controlled in the province of Modena. It will have an exquisite aroma, a sharp but very pleasant sweet-sour taste and a thick texture. It will be produced in compliance with strict rules. The cost of such vinegar, compared to other expensive varieties of the product, will be in the middle price category.
3. Product labeled as "Condimento", differs from the previous types in lesser purity, so its cost will be lower. The quality of this vinegar is not regulated by standards, and producers under this brand can produce (under the name balsamic) ordinary flavored wine grape vinegar. More expensive varieties of vinegar of this standard will contain only wine must, but cheaper products of this series may contain sugar and other additives.

Application

Modern housewives have found the use of balsamic vinegar very wide. It is used both in cooking and for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, as well as in cosmetology.

The product does not need dilution and long-term heat treatment, although many recipes involve heating it. In this case, the chefs try to do everything very quickly, because too hot seasoning emits a rather caustic vapor, similar in smell to highly peroxide wine.

In folk medicine

In folk medicine, balsamic vinegar has long been used to treat trophic ulcers and various wounds. It used to be called "balm", which in Latin means "aromatic resin". At present, these properties of the product are also relevant.

Having a strongly pronounced antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, the agent was used as a liquid for external use, but in some cases it was recommended to take it in a few drops and inside. About the use in cooking then there was no question.

And to this day, in many countries, balsamic vinegar has a place of honor in many areas of medicine. It is believed that this product helps to cope with a large number of ailments, but in the best way it affects the gastrointestinal tract, larynx and immune system. The tool helps maintain the norm of cholesterol in the blood, stimulates memory and reduces the risk of developing inflammatory diseases.

Good reviews on the effect of balsamic vinegar on the human body have been noted under such conditions:

• poor appetite;
• stagnation of bile and fluid;
• indigestion, spasms and flatulence;
• low blood clotting.

In the modern world, balsamic vinegar is used as a means to lose weight, but it is not some kind of miracle drug. The essence of its action lies in the fact that the products flavored with it do not need additional fats and are tasty.

In cooking

In cooking, balsamic vinegar is valued for its unique taste and ability to be used both as a salad dressing and to flavor desserts. A salad of avocado, arugula and shrimp is also impeccable and refined. Delicacies such as ice cream and strawberries, which the French serve on biscuits, get a unique flavor. Balsamic vinegar, as well as "caviar" made from it, is used by many chefs to decorate dishes.

The meat marinated in this sauce acquires an amazing taste, and the product goes equally well with pork, lamb, and various types of poultry meat and offal.

Meat preparations can be baked and barbecued. Wings, legs or breasts of chicken, as well as pork steaks are best suited for these purposes. Duck, goose or turkey get an impeccable taste and aroma: tough meat fibers become much softer, and dishes from them are prepared much faster and simply melt in your mouth. The balsamic marinade is also able to suppress the specific taste of fat of these birds.

Balsamic vinegar pairs well with fish and seafood. Most often, culinary specialists use tuna fillets to prepare gourmet dishes, although even ordinary pollock or herring familiar to everyone get an unusual taste when soaked in such a marinade.

Vinegar is added in small quantities to various soups. Two tablespoons of balsamic added to stir-fry for borscht gives the finished dish an impeccable color. And all because it goes well with tomatoes, including dried, fried and baked.

Grilled mushrooms and other vegetables are no less tasty. You can marinate for vegetable kebab:

• Champignon;
• eggplant;
• zucchini;
• onion;
• bell pepper.

One of the popular and very unusual dishes is roasted and then baked in fragrant caramel Brussels sprouts with sesame seeds. This easy-to-prepare dish can easily be classified as haute cuisine.

Grilled salmon and salmon in many restaurants around the world are served with caramelized oranges with powdered sugar, sprinkled with a small amount of natural balsamic.

Balsamic vinegar goes well with olive oil, different types of mustard and even garlic. In some recipes, you can see the combination of this interesting product with soy sauce.

The sweetish taste of balsamic makes it possible to get the perfect dressing sauce for light salads, which can easily replace mayonnaise, beloved by many. Such a seasoning will well emphasize the taste of fresh cucumbers, arugula, young white or tender Beijing cabbage. The well-known classic "Greek" salad with this sauce also acquires a unique taste. All components of such a dish, including cheese or mozzarella, are perfectly combined with the delicate taste of the dressing and easily absorb it.

In cosmetology

In cosmetology, balsamic vinegar is used to make nourishing face masks and strengthening hair formulations. This becomes possible due to the content of polyphenols and anthocyanins in the product, which together slow down the aging process of the epidermis, keep the hair follicles alive and give a healthy shine to the hair.

Balsamic Vinegar Recipes

There are a huge number of recipes for cooking dishes with the addition of balsamic vinegar. The so-called vinegar goes well with squid and red onion, which are usually served stewed with a side dish of white boiled rice.

There is one dish that no one can resist. They call it Caprese Chicken. To prepare this very appetizing-looking (as in the photo) and unusually tasty chicken, you will need:

• whole chicken or its individual parts (it is better if it is legs or thighs);
• balsamic vinegar;
• seasoning for chicken, which includes oregano;
• purple basil;
• brown sugar or natural honey;
• Mozzarella;
• tomatoes;
• salt;
• a little vegetable, and ideally, olive oil (for frying meat);
• garlic.

All products are taken optionally, the main thing is that the amount of the finished dish is sufficient for your household. The amount of finished brown caramel should be close to one glass, and it is always prepared from equal volume parts of sugar and balsamic, which must be added in one go.

The preparation of this dish includes three stages:

1. Rub the meat generously with chicken seasoning, and if necessary, add a small amount of salt. Leave the product for twenty minutes at room temperature to marinate. After that, fry the chicken in a hot frying pan in a small amount of vegetable oil until golden brown. Put the finished meat in a frying pan or one-piece baking dish.
2. In the remaining oil, fry a few cloves of garlic, chopped into small cubes. Make caramel with balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. This is easy to do, because for this it is enough to heat both components in a pan with garlic to the state of liquid honey. Pour the chicken with the resulting fragrant and slightly spicy sauce.
3. Place a piece of mozzarella on top of each piece of meat, and around this beauty, arrange small juicy tomatoes cut into two or four parts. Now send the pan to the oven, preheated to 180 degrees Celsius, and bake the dish in it for 25 minutes. After the time has elapsed, take out the chicken and generously sprinkle all this splendor with finely chopped leaves of purple basil. And that's it, you can get unearthly gastronomic pleasure!

No less tasty and simple in all respects than the dish described above will be chicken or beef liver, cooked in a fragrant and spicy wine filling. Any hostess can make it, and such a dish will look no worse than the restaurant “Liver in Venetian”. The taste of the finished meat will exceed all your expectations! You will find the secret and ingredients in the recipe below.

1. Soak fresh liver in milk for an hour. Fry three medium-sized onions in a small amount of vegetable oil, and then add 100 ml of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and a little granulated sugar to them. While stirring constantly, caramelize the onion, and once the sauce reaches the consistency of thick sour cream, carefully transfer the onion to a clean plate and leave it for a while.
2. Put the sliced ​​\u200b\u200band well-dried liver into the pan. Fry the product until cooked, and then pepper and sprinkle the meat with a little fine salt. After that, pour 100 ml of dry red wine into the dish and simmer it for about fifteen minutes until the liquid has completely evaporated.
3. Serve with mashed potatoes, arranged nicely on a wide-rimmed plate. On top of the potatoes, put two or three tablespoons of onion in caramel, and the third layer is one or more pieces of the liver.

Now you know how to surprise your loved ones with your culinary skills!

But not only in salads and when frying meat, balsamic vinegar is used. Beets and carrots, baked in the oven in this amazing and fragrant caramel, become an unsurpassed and very healthy side dish. The calorie content of such a product will be quite low, so the dish will be appreciated by those who are on a diet and want to lose weight or maintain their weight.

You can use a unique product in the process of preparing sushi and rolls, as well as any other dishes of Asian cuisine. Italians prepare risotto, pasta, as well as pasta and spaghetti with balsamic, giving a new, incomparable taste to these insipid flour products.

From sour cream and balsamic vinegar, a very tasty thick sauce is prepared with a slight hint of chocolate and a delicate taste. This pasta is perfect for dressing hearty salads with meat.

Benefit and harm

The benefits derived from the consumption of balsamic vinegar is one of the main indicators that attracts an increasing number of people. Using a valuable product for food, people not only have the opportunity to satisfy their gastronomic needs, but also receive a therapeutic effect. However, it is still worth considering some warnings and not violating them.

Balsamic vinegar contains glucose, fructose and polysaccharides. Therefore, people with diabetes should take this product with caution to avoid harm. To avoid allergic reactions, the use of balsamic vinegar should be limited to pregnant and lactating women, as well as those who are prone to food allergies.

The use of balsamic in large quantities can provoke an exacerbation of peptic ulcer, as well as significantly increase the acidity of gastric juice. It is also recommended to limit the use of the product to those who suffer from liver pathologies.

But still, the main contraindication to the use of the product, nutritionists and physicians consider individual intolerance to the components and alcohol, in particular. People who encounter this problem should completely exclude the use of the product and dishes with it.

Balsamic vinegar is a unique dressing for dishes and has a wide range of effects on the pathogenic flora of the human body. It helps not only to improve the psychological state of a person, but also to maintain the proper functioning of all systems. Watch the overview video of this amazing product and its benefits and see how unique balsamic is in every way.

Everyone wants tasty and healthy food. In gastronomy, there is a wide range of varieties of vinegars, all of which have different properties, smells, tastes, and even different effects on the body. One of the vinegars, balsamic, is an excellent addition to dishes that will only become healthier and tastier with it.

What does it taste like, what dishes does it go with? Does it have indications and contraindications for use?

Balsamic vinegar - what is it?

Balsamic vinegar ("balsamic") is a seasoning that has been aged from grape must, which has a dark color and thick consistency, characterized by specific sweet and sour taste and fruity aroma. Do not confuse this seasoning with ordinary wine vinegar - these are completely different spices.

Contrary to the name "vinegar", in the way it is prepared, it differs significantly from ordinary food. In the Caucasus and Iran, a similar seasoning is made, with the name "doshab". In America, spices similar to balsamic are made from coconut, figs, tangerines, black currants, cocoa beans, etc.

This incomparable balsamic is produced in the Italian provinces of Reggio Emilia and Modena.

The composition of balsamic contains a treasure trove of essential substances, including tartaric acid. And:

Contains in small quantities:

• manganese

Industrial, practically useless, as it is prepared without aging, balsamic contains these substances:

• glucose
• fructose
• starch
• preservatives
• dyes
• flavors, etc.

Calories in balsamic vinegar: 100 g balsamic contains about 88 kcal.

It should be said that the preparation of real balsamic is a very difficult and long process, requiring certain knowledge and experience of the manufacturer. Manufacturers believe that it is important to have time and patience when preparing it. Balsamic vinegar photo will help you understand what dishes it suits and how it looks.

Balsamic: benefits and harms

We can only talk about the benefits of using balsamic vinegar if it is natural, prepared in accordance with all rules and regulations, and only qualified workers in this field took part in its manufacture.

At the moment, there is no information about any studies that would testify to the beneficial effects of balsamic vinegar, its beneficial effects on the human body and disease prevention. However, its composition is well known and the elements it contains have proven health benefits. In folk medicine, balsamic and its benefits have been used for a long time - as already mentioned, since the Middle Ages.

The process of digestion and weight loss

Circulatory system:

• low content of sodium, but a lot of potassium, which is useful for the work of the heart and blood vessels;
• better absorption of magnesium and calcium;
• reduces the level of cholesterol, harmful and dangerous for the body in the blood, and therefore prevents the development of atherosclerosis of blood vessels.

The fight against diabetes

It has balsamic vinegar and diabetes prevention abilities. It protects the cells of the pancreas, which are responsible for the production of insulin. Vinegar helps them function properly, thus protecting against diabetes.

Wound healing

Balsamic vinegar benefits in that it has strong antiseptic properties. If you add a teaspoon of the solution to a glass of water, you get a disinfectant solution that can be used to wipe small wounds on the surface of the skin.

Harm balsamic

Yes, the benefits are certainly obvious, but are there any harmful properties of this spice? Everything is good in moderation, and if you abuse balsamic vinegar, you can harm yourself. There are no contraindications, except for individual intolerance.

Balsamic vinegar: application

The best application was found in no other area, as, of course, in cooking. Italian dishes, for example, are famous for their amount of olive oil, but few people know that balsamic is often added to it. So you can manage salads, they will have a wonderful subtle aroma. It goes well with cheese, green salad, avocado and tomatoes.

It is also perfect for meat. Meat dishes are simply sprinkled with it during frying. A few drops of sweet and sour balsamic are enough to completely change the taste of the products beyond recognition. Prepared with its addition first courses, omelet, dessert and even ice cream. To help the body digest heavy and fatty foods, just add a little balsamic to the sauce. But it is important to remember that it cannot be exposed to high temperatures.

Even in cosmetology, balsamic has found its application. Due to content polyphenol, thionin and anthocyanin, the aging of epidermal cells is delayed. An excellent result is shown by creams with its addition for aged skin owners. It is included in several anti-cellulite products and even in a balm to combat hair loss. Its disinfecting properties contribute to a thorough cleansing of the skin and improve complexion. It is also recommended as an excellent aphrodisiac.

Where to add balsamic vinegar?

Balsamic is added to various dishes: vegetables, fruit salads, meat and fish dishes, as well as seafood dishes.

Balsamic vinegar is also added to marinades. This kind of version is appropriate for both vegetable and meat dishes, as well as seafood. When sprinkled with balsamic berries, they acquire a unique taste.

What can replace balsamic?

Wine vinegar is considered to be the standard analogue of balsamic. In some cases, it would be appropriate to replace with apple.

How to make balsamic vinegar at home?

Real balsamic is made only from white grape varieties. The product must go through metabolic and evaporative processes. Then it is poured into wooden barrels, where it is aged from 3 to 100 years. Now I understand why it has such a high price.

Since there are people who want to taste this product, but do not have the opportunity due to the high cost, a recipe for inexpensively making balsamic vinegar at home was created.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh cherries
• 15 g sugar
• 0.5 l of 9% vinegar,
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon,
• zest of 1 lemon.

Cooking:

1. First you need to crush the cherry. Add sugar, zest, cinnamon and vinegar to it.
2. Boil the mixture for 15-20 minutes.
3. Cool the resulting solution, pour into a bowl and refrigerate.
4. Filter the mixture after two days.
5. Sterilize the container in advance, where the resulting solution will be filled. Be sure to store in the refrigerator.

This is how you can make balsamic at home without spending a lot of money.

Balsamic vinegar, it is - in the Italian manner - aceto balsamic, or simply balsamic. Appeared in our area, not to say that for a very long time, does not claim to be the first, stands modestly on the shelves of supermarkets, so that many do not even suspect of its existence. This is understandable: the consumption of vinegar in our country is traditionally lower than in Europe. But Italian cuisine, quickly gaining popularity due to its bright tastes and understandable simplicity, has contributed to the popularity of balsamic. More and more people, having once tasted balsamic vinegar, are looking for it in stores, and only after the treasured bottle finds its place on the shelf, they ask themselves the question - “what kind of thing is this balsamic vinegar?”

The first and foremost thing to know is that not all balsamic vinegars are the same.

Traditional balsamic vinegar

Authentic balsamic, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale, has been produced in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, in the cities of Modena and Reggio Emilia, for over 1000 years. This process is slow and expensive. First, the juice of Trebbiano grapes is heated for a long time until it is boiled down several times. The resulting thick and sugary syrup - grape must - is aged in barrels made from various types of wood, from oak and cherry to juniper and mulberry. During the aging process, part of the vinegar evaporates (it is called the "angels' share", just like in the case of cognac), so all barrels have a different volume.

Ready vinegar is bottled from the last, smallest keg, topped up again from a larger keg, it is supplemented from an even larger keg, and so on - and the freshly made wort is added to the largest keg. The must for traditional balsamic vinegar is kept for at least 12 years, but the process itself, as can be seen from its description, has neither beginning nor end, and is called accordingly: in perpetuum. Of course, vinegar can be older than 12 years; other traditional aging periods are 18 and 25 years, and the longer the vinegar is aged, the more powerful and intense its flavor and aroma become.

Traditional balsamic vinegar is a noble product that requires many years of endurance and labor, and, of course, everyone is already interested in the question of how to distinguish a fake. But I will not bore you with the details, since most of us will not need this information: you cannot find real Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale in supermarkets. It is sold only in specialized stores, and the price is for 100 ml. starts from hundreds of euros and above. Real black gold.

affordable balsamic vinegar

The balsamic vinegar that we sell is made using a different technology. The cheapest brands are regular ones, where dye, sweetener and thickener are added to mimic the look and taste of the very same, real balsamic. According to the rules, such balsamic vinegar is also aged - but not in wooden barrels, but in steel ones, and not for 12 years, but for a couple of months, so this does not affect the taste so radically. Don't let the name Aceto Balsamico di Modena bother you: anyone can make such vinegar - you can see, for example, German on the shelves - and it costs not much more than ordinary wine. It is very easy to distinguish it, just read the composition, in which all additives should be indicated.

Better varieties of balsamic vinegar are still produced in Italy. As a rule, the technology for the production of such vinegar is similar to the traditional one, however, there are differences that did not allow it to receive the status of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale - for example, shorter aging time, production in another region, and so on. It is logical that such vinegar costs less than traditional vinegar, although it is more expensive than imitation with a sweetener, and in general it is an example of a good price-quality ratio.

How to apply balsamic vinegar?

Initially, balsamic was used for medicinal purposes - in fact, the Latin balsamum, from which the name of this vinegar comes, is translated as "healing". However, now the only use of balsamic vinegar is exclusively culinary.

Balsamic vinegar performs very well in salad dressings, especially where tomatoes are involved. The same, by the way, applies to other tomato dishes - a couple of drops of balsamic will definitely not hurt tomato soup or meat stewed in tomato sauce.

Balsamic vinegar can be substituted for any other in marinades and sauces, or sprinkled on—again, no more than a few drops! - any ready-made dishes, from scrambled eggs to fried meat. Balsamic works just as well with some desserts: a drop of good, thick balsamic vinegar really ennobles ice cream or ordinary strawberries or raspberries. Another idea is to add balsamic to a cocktail: in some cases it is very good.

Finally, let's not forget that you can make from any industrial balsamic, including the cheapest one - and with the thick vinegar that you get in the end, you can decorate a dish or season everything that is described above, but with a better result.

Balsamic vinegar. Today we will talk about one of the most exquisite and healthy salad dressings, a product for making sauces and marinades, a delicious spice.

Can you say mayonnaise? Of course not. Balsamic vinegar!

This is a unique product, the fame of which belongs to Italian culinary specialists - Modena, a small Italian province nestled in the north-west of the country, is considered to be the birthplace of balsamic.

For many centuries, they have been producing here, the most that neither is, real balsamic vinegar, famous throughout the world.

Gourmets of all countries, who understand the intricacies of the product, always buy only Modena balsamic, although there are many worthy alternatives in modern stores.

Why so expensive?!

Balsamic vinegar, despite the fact that it is just vinegar, cannot be attributed to budget purchases in any way - the cost of one bottle of real balsamic from Modena starts from 40 euros.

What is the reason for such a high price? First of all, the technology of preparation and high-quality raw materials.

Balsamic vinegar cannot be obtained in a year, not in two, not in three, at least 12! And then it will be a “young” balsamic, while a mature product must be aged from 40 to 100 years!

To make this type of vinegar, juice from white grapes is taken (preferably Trebbiano), boiled in a certain way until dark and thick - a viscous brown syrup is obtained.

High-quality wine vinegar is added in proportion to it, which is necessary to start and maintain the fermentation process, then the composition is poured into wooden barrels, where it will “ripen” and be enriched with aromas.

First, the raw materials are aged in huge mulberry barrels, then poured into a smaller container - from cherry or chestnut wood, and only after that they are divided into small oak barrels, where the vinegar will acquire its finished taste.

From the smallest barrels, part of the finished product is poured for sale, the vacant volume is supplemented from the middle barrel, the middle barrel is topped up from the large one, and fresh raw materials are poured into the large one.

As it moves from cask to cask, the vinegar is saturated with new notes in taste. At different stages of production, manufacturers add their own spices, which they keep in strict confidence.

The minimum aging period for vinegar is three years, but real Modena vinegar is not sold under 12 years old, so if you want to buy a truly original product, look for the inscription “DOP - Denominazione d’Origine Protetta” on the package.

There are also two varieties of this vinegar: traditional (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP) - the most expensive, a mixture of traditional and wine vinegar (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP) - it is tasty, cheaper, but does not require long maturation.

In addition to these varieties of vinegar, there is, of course, an industrial version, light in color, for mass markets - this is "Balsamic Vinegar from Modena (Aceto Balsamico di Modena)".

They also make it on the basis, do not subject it to a long exposure, flavor it with spices. Often under this name lies a cheap fake of acid (well, if tartaric), caramel thickener, dye, sweetener.

High-quality balsamic vinegar is very dark, viscous, has a pleasant sweet and sour taste and a rich palette of fruity and woody aromas.

It is clear that such a product, prepared according to all the rules, cannot be cheap, in addition, in addition to its gastronomic value, it also has a medicinal value.

It is interesting that initially vinegar seasoning was still a medicine, and only then began to be used in cooking.

Balsamic has been prepared since 1040, only rich, noble nobles could afford it, and they used it to save themselves from microbial lesions and inflammation.

During maturation, such a product goes through several stages, one of them is fermentation, during which a lot of components useful for the body are formed in its composition.

At the output in balsamic there are: vitamins (C, B group, A, others), a large group of micro and macro elements (manganese, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and copper, calcium and magnesium), pectins, polyphenols, valuable organic acids, sugars, antioxidants, and this is not a complete list of chemical composition.

Due to its extraordinary composition, balsamic vinegar has a number of healing properties..

1. A recognized powerful aphrodisiac (they say that Casanova himself did not disdain them).

2. Has an anti-inflammatory effect.

3. Good antiseptic, effective against numerous types of pathogenic microorganisms.

4. Helps to digest even the heaviest food.

5. Slows down the aging process of the skin.

6. Strong antioxidants prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases, oncological neoplasms.

7. Used in dentistry and ENT practice as a gargle for diseases of the mouth and throat.

8. Maintains normal blood sugar levels.

9. Reduces cholesterol levels.

10. Contains live bacteria - probiotics, which normalize the intestinal flora, contributes to its timely emptying.

12. Used to treat skin lesions.

13. With regular use as part of complex therapy, it has a positive effect on high blood pressure - it gradually normalizes it.

14. It has a general strengthening effect on the body.

15. Used by leading cosmetologists to combat cellulite and other skin defects.

16. Improves digestion, serves as a source of valuable vitamins and minerals.

Balsamic vinegar is the rare exception that is commonly called "tasty medicine".

It perfectly complements meat, hearty salads, goes well with cheese, herbs and vegetables. It is better to purchase it abroad - there is less chance of buying a fake.

However, in addition to valuable medicinal properties, balsamic vinegar also has negative aspects.

With unlimited use, it can provoke allergies, exacerbate gastritis and peptic ulcers, or cause damage to the gastric mucosa. Remember this.

How to apply for treatment?

For diseases of the throat and oral cavity: rinse with an aqueous solution of Modena vinegar every 2 hours during the day.

For weight loss: use instead of fatty dressings for salads, side dishes, lean meats.

For cuts and burns: treat wounds with balsamic until completely healed.

For hair loss: After washing, rinse your hair with cool water and a little balsamic vinegar.

To maintain youthful skin: add 1-2 drops of vinegar to daily servings of skin care cream.

To get rid of acne and oily skin: wipe problem areas with a swab dipped in balsamic.