aged balsamic vinegar
aged balsamic Vinegar
is a authentic thick flavored vinegar typically used
in Italian gourmet cooking. It is often used as a salad
dressing when combined with olive oil or as a marinade. It
is a traditional product that was developed in Modena, Italy,
where it has been Produced since the Middle Ages and the
name is protected by the Italian government. Unlike
table vinegars, it is dark and thick with a complex,
sweet flavor and is much more pricey. True Aged balsamic
vinegar has been aged fifteen years or more.
The best aged balsamic vinegars
have no other ingredients added to them - only
the grapes. Lesser ones will include brown sugar or caramel
to mimic the sweetness of the balsamic vinegars. If a company
creates a "traditional" balsamic vinegar,
they will also produce a less costly, but high quality
vinegar as well.
View
our free Gourmet Balsamic Recipes.
Oil and vinegar Balsamic Salad dressings.
Balsamic vinegar is Produced
by reduced white grapes (typically,
trebbiano grapes) that has been boiled down to approximately
50% ("must") and fermenting that into alcohol.
It is then once again fermented to balsamic vinegar,
with a slow aging process
done in oak casks that concentrates
the flavors. The flavour is heightened over years,
with the balsamic vinegar being kept in fine oak barrels, becoming
sweet, thick and very concentrated in flavor. Some
aged balsamic vinegar is added to the "must"
to produce a more complex and intricate taste, and to
add acidity.
The syrup is transferred
to oak casks to ferment in the open
air and then starts the long evaporation and aging process
that makes aged balsamico vinegar unusual. Balsamic vinegar
does not go bad after opening as oxygen is part
of the aging process, you can cherish your best bottle
and use it on special occasions. Do
not heat or cook balsamic vinegar
as it will destroy the flavor.
As a key component
in vinaigrette dressings, balsamic pairs
particularly well with olive oil. Olive oil-balsamic
vinaigrette is wonderful with lobster,
fresh spinach and asparagus. A balsamic salad dressing does well
with winter vegetables such as carrots, turnips, squash
and sweet potatoes, as well as fresh mixed greens or
baby spinach.
The Mediterranean diet,
characterized by cuisine such as Italian food, has been
gaining popularity in North America, where the consumption
of traditional Mediterranean foods, such as cold pressed
olive oil and balsamic vinegar, has been increasing.
Many people are finding this diet as a healthy alternative
to fatty foods and deep fried food preparation.
