Cider Vinegar question

17 years ago

Getting back into canning (and just starting to learn to pressure can this season!) and bought a gallon of cider vinegar at the store. At least I thought it was cider vinegar. I'd bought the house brand (never had any problem with their regular vinegar) & when I got home I saw that its "Apple Cider Flavored Distilled Vinegar".

Ingredients read: "Distilled Vinegar diluted with water to 5% acidity, Natural Flavor, Caramel Color. I'd never heard of cider flavored vinegar before.

I checked my small bottle of Heinz cider vinegar. Ingredients read: Made from the juice of apples diluted with water to a uniform pickling and table strength of 5% (50 grains) acidity.

So, my question is is the flavored vinegar a no-no or am I making a big deal out of nothing? I'd open it and taste it but don't want to be stuck with a gallon of something thats not right. I'd planned on returning it, but thought I'd ask here first.

Lorri

Featured Answer

shermthewerm

7 years ago

I noticed the same thing with the Heinz brand--flavored apple cider vinegar. Surprisingly the store brand is real ACV, and it is available in the gallon size.

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Comments (6)

digdirt2
17 years ago
I never heard of "flavored" either. Odds are it is ok but I'd return it and stick with the real thing.

Dave
paddy_99
17 years ago
It sounds like white vinegar that has been doctored i.e. caramel color-natural flavor, to look like apple cider vinegar. I would take it back.
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sautesmom Sacramento
17 years ago
Yuck! I'd take it back too. Since most of us do canning because we like the flavor of real food, using the best quality ingredients produces the best flavor, and "colored" vinegar isn't at all the same!

I can't believe the "cost cutting" food manufacturers do these days. I was just at our state fair, and they were giving away "Crustables" samples (pre-made sandwiches without crusts, for kids) One flavor was peanut butter and honey, and I checked the ingredients. The "honey" was actually mostly corn syrup, with honey flavoring. When I asked them why there was corn syrup in it at all, they told me that it made the honey more "spreadable" when they were making the product. (You know, because honey is so difficult to spread in its pure form!) I am allergic to corn syrup, and so I passed on that free sample...

Carla in Sac
Seasyde
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for the quick responses. I'm going to return the vinegar. I was in a hurry when I was shopping, but I'm not sure I would have noticed even if I hadn't been. It would just never occurred to me they'd make "fake" cider vinegar. You really have to be careful and read the labels these days.

Carla - honey flavor? Geesh! First I'vc heard of that! Yet another thing to look out for!

Lorri
ekgrows
7 years ago
This just happened to me. Got a gallon of what I thought was cider vinegar, and it was apple cider flavored vinegar. Seriously!?!?!?!?! So I didn't make hot pepper jelly yesterday after all. Stopped by a different store today, and all they had in gallons was the same thing - Heinz of all brands. The only true cider vinegar was a small bottle of a generic brand, which I gladly bought.

I'm taking the gallon of the fake stuff back - I don't want garbage in my food. I hope this isn't a sign of what's to come - I'll have to start making my own vinegar too!