Balsamic vinegar: use and useful properties

This exquisite product is nothing more than a kind of grape vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is produced from white varieties characterized by a high sugar content. After evaporation and fermentation, the boiled syrup is placed in wooden barrels, which are maintained for an average of 12 years. At the same time, 10% of the volume evaporates annually, as a result, from the 100 liters of the initial composition, no more than 15 liters of the finished product is obtained. This explains the high price of balsamic vinegar, today it is considered one of the most expensive products in the world. 100 grams of balsamic is worth at least 100 euros.

Balsamic vinegar has at least a 1000-year history. About him was known in the first century of our era. Italy is his homeland, the best types of this vinegar are produced today in the vicinity of Modena. And, of course, this is not the product to which we are accustomed. We have vinegar produced in food complexes of various acetates, or using the method of dry distillation of wood. A more natural way (microbiological) is made of wine vinegar, it is obtained as a result of fermentation of wine.

Balsamic vinegar differs from the usual wine that is prepared from grape must, a pressed juice on the peel, which is cooked to 30% of the original volume, which is called still sour wine.

In the provinces of Reggio Emilia and Modena, there are strict standards for the production of the product. The producers are united in a consortium, which appropriated abbreviation ABTM for traditional vinegar. Outside Italy, the product is produced only in Greece, in some monasteries. The method of preparing it here is somewhat simplified, which allows you to reduce the price and use the product more widely.

Product properties

Today it is difficult to imagine a restaurant with Mediterranean cuisine, which would not use balsamic vinegar in cooking. The benefits of this product are obvious. After all, originally used balsamic for medical purposes. Its unique anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties were used to treat angina, as an elixir in the event of a loss of strength, vinegar was applied and externally in the treatment of purulent wounds and cuts. It contains vitamins C, A and B, as well as polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants and are able to prevent cancer and heart and vascular disease.

In addition, the components that make up the balsamic effectively inhibit the growth of pathogenic flora. Also, the natural product contains acetic, pyruvic acids and pectins necessary for the normalization of the microflora of the digestive tract. However, you can take the product only in minimal doses. Widely use it in the production of cosmetology products. Due to the presence of anthocyanins, tannins and polyphenols, balsamic can significantly slow down the aging process of skin cells. Creams based on it, as a rule, quite expensive. Include it in the composition of anti-hair loss products, as well as anti-cellulite creams.

Dishes with balsamic vinegar

This balsamic is a thick and viscous sauce of dark color with a specific sweetish flavor. The product was most used in cooking, thanks to the ability to give any dish a truly royal taste. It is used literally by drop, it perfectly shades the taste of cheese and meat, in Italy, balsamic vinegar is added to desserts, soups, salads and even omelettes. And, of course, balsamic is a part of most Italian condiments.

In order to understand how this product is able to transform the taste of the simplest products, it is worth trying to prepare simple dishes with it.

Bread sauce

Ingredients: 2 slices of bread toasted in a toaster, salt, a spoon of tea mustard (neostroy), a teaspoon of balsamic with thyme honey, 3 tbsp. Tablespoons olive oil.

Pieces of bread are heated in a toaster, the remaining components are mixed in a socket. Dip the bread in the resulting sauce and serve it to the table.

Quick salad

Ingredients: 10 grams of Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes - 4 pieces, a glass of lettuce, a spoonful of tea balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, pepper and salt to taste.

Cut the lettuce leaves, add chopped tomatoes, balsamic and olive oil, mix, season with salt, pepper to taste.

Strawberries with balsamic vinegar

You will need: balsamic, mint, 50 g sugar powder, 300 g strawberries.

Peel the berries, wash and dry, cut into 4 pieces along each. Then put the strawberries in a salad bowl, sprinkle with powder, you can decorate with mint leaves, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and mix.