# Balsamic Vinegar - How do I use it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245 "2007-04-15T19:40:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jellyblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/41 "2007-04-16T07:46:29Z")
My favorite asparagus recipe: Toss asparagus with olive oil, put in roasting pan; Sprinkle with garlic pepper and coarse salt; roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. (Here comes the vinegar part): Mix a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar with about a 1/4 c. of soy sauce, a dollop of olive oil, a tablespoon of honey, a squirt of lemon and a pinch of red pepper; whisk vigorously and pour over hot asparagus. Serve immediately. Eat with your fingers for maximum enjoyment. - - - - [later] Shrivel up from excessive sodium. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/42 "2007-04-16T13:53:59Z")
Slice some summer squash, marinade in BV and EVOO, then throw on the grill. Divine! ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/43 "2007-04-16T14:46:17Z")
I saw this Paula Deen Recipe a while back and thought it would only get better by substituting Balsamic Vinegar. Balsamic is a red wine vinegar, after all. I haven’t tried this salad, but it sounds really good. Probably like the strawberries, balsamic, and black pepper. Something you might think twice about, but in actuality is a taste sensation. **Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves** Recipe courtesy Paula Deen Show: Paula’s Home Cooking Episode: Garden Club Meeting 1 (5-pound) watermelon 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion 1/4 cup red wine vinegar Salt and pepper 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 6 whole mint sprigs Cut the flesh from the melon and cut into bite size pieces, removing and discarding the seeds, and set aside. Peel and slice the onion into rings. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and whisk until salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a few drops at a time. Add in the chopped mint, taste, and adjust seasonings. In a large bowl, combine the melon, onion, and feta. Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Garnish with mint sprigs. To serve, divide salad among individual plates and garnish with mint leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/44 "2007-04-16T14:53:48Z")
I can see that working. I love to sprinkle kosher salt and a little chili powder and cumin on my watermelon! ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/45 "2007-04-16T15:13:45Z")
[QUOTE=devilsknew] I saw this Paula Deen Recipe a while back and thought it would only get better by substituting Balsamic Vinegar. Balsamic is a red wine vinegar, after all. I haven’t tried this salad, but it sounds really good. Probably like the strawberries, balsamic, and black pepper. Something you might think twice about, but in actuality is a taste sensation. **Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves** [/QUOTE] I’ve had a similar salad from Armandino Batali (Mario’s dad), except he didn’t use any feta. IMO, something like feta would overwhelm the other flavors (then again, I hate feta, so you might want to take that comment with a grain of salt). For similar reasons, I’m also not really convinced that balsamic vinegar would work here, since it has a pretty “deep”, assertive flavor (then again, I could be wrong about this one too…) Yeah, this post was a marvel of positive contribution… ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/46 "2007-04-16T15:41:45Z")
[QUOTE=Hunter Hawk] I’ve had a similar salad from Armandino Batali (Mario’s dad), except he didn’t use any feta. IMO, something like feta would overwhelm the other flavors (then again, I hate feta, so you might want to take that comment with a grain of salt). For similar reasons, I’m also not really convinced that balsamic vinegar would work here, since it has a pretty “deep”, assertive flavor (then again, I could be wrong about this one too…) Yeah, this post was a marvel of positive contribution… [/QUOTE] No, I entirely get what you’re saying here. I think the feta is a strong taste and I myself wondered how it might work in this salad having never tasted it. And that’s why I thought the slightly sweeter and more complex balsamic might work better than a straight astringent red wine vinegar. I think it might counter the feta better and round out the flavors. Really, if I were to make this recipe. I might rework it such, and substitute the vinegar with balsamic and the feta with shaved peccorino romano or parmigiano reggiano. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/47 "2007-04-16T18:33:54Z")
[QUOTE=BayleDomon] Absolutely. A couple of years ago my dad and I were looking through a gourmet foods shop, and they had some very high-quality balsamic vinegars there. A salesperson took us to a counter in the back and cracked open one of the nicer bottles to give us each a small taste. It wasn’t vinegary at all and went down very smooth. Something like $15 for a bottle no bigger than a fist, if not smaller. Even the cheaper stuff at the local supermarket is tasty enough that when I pour it into a bowl with some olive oil for dipping bread, I’ll sneak a quick sip or two. [/QUOTE] That’s not that expensive, really. I tasted some aged stuff that was $120 for 100 mL. Electric sex candy. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/48 "2007-04-16T22:01:07Z")
[QUOTE=Critical1] (edit) something I learned on Good Eats, the finer you chop garlic the more heat and garlicy it tastes, the less you chop it the sweeter it is. this is because garlic contains 2 separate chemicals that mix when you chop it to make a third, this third chemical is the one thats hot. not really chemicals but you get the idea. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the garlic info. I love the sweet taste of garlic, but not so much, the hot taste. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/49 "2007-04-16T22:55:54Z")
I had lunch in a tapas restaurant today. The appetizer: some fresh, soft, crusty Spanish bread, accompanied by a flat saucer of exra-virgin olive oil, into which was dripped about three drips of balsamic vinegar. Rip up the bread, dip and swirl a chunk in the saucer. The oil repels the bread, but the vinegar soaks into it when you touch it. A lovely subtle mix. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/50 "2007-04-16T23:14:34Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] Can I ask what is kosher about kosher salt? [/QUOTE] A Good Eats talked about this a while back: the answer is “nothing.” “Kosher” salt isn’t kosher as a Jewish dietary form; rather it’s used for “koshering” - an old word for (I think) pickling. Although for all I know, it might be both. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/51 "2007-04-17T02:33:02Z")
[QUOTE=TimeWinder] “Kosher” salt isn’t kosher as a Jewish dietary form; rather it’s used for “koshering” - an old word for (I think) pickling. [/QUOTE] “Koshering” isn’t pickling - when the word is used in relation to meat, it means the religiously required process of [salting meat to draw out the blood.](http://www.siks.org/whatiskosher.html) ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/52 "2007-04-17T04:52:10Z")
[QUOTE=Eva Luna] “Koshering” isn’t pickling - when the word is used in relation to meat, it means the religiously required process of [salting meat to draw out the blood.](http://www.siks.org/whatiskosher.html) [/QUOTE] You are correct. This isn’t the episode I say, but [here](http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season7/Salt/salt.htm) is the transcript to the Good Eat’s salt episode, which agrees with you. So don’t mind me. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/53 "2007-04-17T07:23:16Z")
I bought some strawberries today, to try with the vinegar. Wow! It was kind of like strawberry wine that you can chew. I tried some cracked black pepper, which seemed to neutralize the vinegar and make it a little less tangy. I also tried it with fresh pineapple, (without the pepper), which created a totally unexpected taste. It was as if the tartness of the pineapple and the tartness of the vinegar cancelled eachother out, and left a sweet caramely taste. I’m going to try marinating some pineapple spears in it, then grilling them. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/54 "2007-04-17T09:34:32Z")
The most common thing I do with balsamic vinegar is deglaze the pan or hotplate after I cook or BBQ a plain steak. Just a little splash, scrape all the tasty bits off and drag the steak through the mixture and straight on the plate. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/55 "2007-04-21T17:48:13Z")
[QUOTE=jellyblue] My favorite asparagus recipe: Toss asparagus with olive oil, put in roasting pan; Sprinkle with garlic pepper and coarse salt; roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. (Here comes the vinegar part): Mix a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar with about a 1/4 c. of soy sauce, a dollop of olive oil, a tablespoon of honey, a squirt of lemon and a pinch of red pepper; whisk vigorously and pour over hot asparagus. Serve immediately. Eat with your fingers for maximum enjoyment. - - - - [later] Shrivel up from excessive sodium. [/QUOTE] I’m going to make this tonight, with gorgonzola-stuffed burgers on homemade foccacia rolls. Thanks a lot! ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/56 "2007-04-21T19:12:04Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] Wow, I just looked up the [nutritional information](http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=8) for Balsamic Vinegar. 0 Calories 0 Fat 0 Cholesterol 0 Sodium 0 Carbohydrate ? Sugar? (not listed) I assume that if it had sugar in it that would be listed? Since I’ve never, to my knowledge, actually tasted Balsamic Vinegar, I had no idea it was in any way sweet. Now it makes a little more sense over strawberries. I was thinking regular vinegar with more spices. [/QUOTE] This really surprises me. I was under the imrpession (my ex-wife told me) that Balsamic vinegar was taboo for early stage Atkins, because of the high sugar content. My contribution would be the same as in the grilling out thread - London Broil My contribution would be London Broil. “Marinade in chopped garlic, shallots, black pepper, balsamic vinegar & olive oil. Take out and grill to rare, meanwhile reduce the marinade, and add beef stock and dijon mustard, thicken up to make a gravy. Then slice the London Broil (after resting) across the grain and Robert’s your uncle.” I love BV to marinade with. It makes everything so much better. I have a recipe I love somewhere for pork tenderloin cooked with balsamic vinegar and carmelized red onions that is to die for. I’ve also just realized I use dijon mustard way more than the average bear. ---
**Author:** ![Aestivalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aestivalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aestivalis)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/57 "2007-04-22T06:49:25Z")
Once, I sliced up some mango, only to find that it was still too hard and quite sour. Not wanting to waste it, I tossed it in some balsamic vinegar, and the result was quite astounding. I haven’t tried it in awhile though, it’s on my list for tomorrow! ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245/58 "2007-04-24T16:47:19Z")
The Nutrition Facts label on the bottle of Modena balsamic vinegar I have here says a 1 tablespoon (15 ml) serving has 3 grams of “sugars,” 1% of the recommended daily consumption. I’ll have to get some strawberries. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/balsamic-vinegar-how-do-i-use-it/400245.md?page=2)