White vinegar is a versatile ingredient that many people use to achieve a sharp flavor for various dishes. Others use it for cleaning purposes at home since it’s a perfect cleaner and disinfectant.
If you want to prepare a recipe that calls for white vinegar, but you don’t have it, you may want to use another ingredient.
Here, we’ll show you the best substitutes to use instead of white vinegar that can save your recipes.
7 Best White Vinegar Substitutes
Red Wine Vinegar
Red wine vinegar makes the best substitute for white vinegar as it delivers almost the same tanginess.
The only difference is that this vinegar has a bolder flavor than white vinegar, and its color may discolor your pale ingredients. But if you don’t mind the color, red wine vinegar will make a perfect substitute.
While red wine vinegar is mainly used on salads due to its fruity flavors, it can also work well for chicken, beef, pork, and other meats.
It’s very easy to substitute red wine vinegar for white vinegar as you can use a similar amount to get an equally satisfying flavor.
White Rice Vinegar
Made from fermented rice, white rice vinegar also makes a great white vinegar substitute that you can use for many recipes.
It’s mainly used in Chinese and Japanese dishes to deliver a sweet, less acid flavor. It works well in stir-fries, salads, sushi, and soups, but you can also use it for tender chicken and fish.
If you want your meal to be a little sourer, you can add a little lemon juice after using the white rice vinegar.
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar is another effective way to replace white vinegar in a recipe, especially if you love some sweet and fruity taste notes in your dishes.
It’s made with a ‘grape must,’ a fresh juice obtained from grapes then reduced into a concentrate.
The richly flavored vinegar gives excellent results for sauces, marinades, grills, and salad dressing recipes.
However, you’ll need to keep in mind that balsamic vinegar is a dark ingredient that will change your food’s color.
And while this vinegar will give your food the sharp tang you get with white vinegar, it will add a slightly sweet flavor.
Malt Vinegar
This is a mild and sweet vinegar made from malted barley, and it still makes an excellent white vinegar substitute.
However, it doesn’t have a sharp and robust taste like that of white vinegar, so you’ll want to use a little bit more of what the recipe requires.
Most chefs prefer to serve malt vinegar with fish and chips due to its complex flavor range. You can also use it on salad dressing and making pickles.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Did you know that apple cider vinegar can be used as a white vinegar substitute? Well, apple cider vinegar is a versatile ingredient that can transform the flavor of your dishes.
It makes a perfect substitution for white vinegar due to its bright tanginess and light color. You can use one tablespoon of apple cider to replace one tablespoon of white vinegar.
Made from fermented apples, apple cider vinegar has a sweet flavor that goes beyond salad dressing and sauces.
You’ll have endless ways to use it in your kitchen as it works well with marinades, smothered meats, toasts, stir-fried meals, and many more.
If you are looking for a white vinegar substitute that will deliver similar health benefits while still providing valuable health benefits, then apple cider vinegar is a your-go-to option.
It helps kill bacteria, prevents heartburn, and lowers the cholesterol in your body, leaving you with a healthier heart.
Sherry Vinegar
If you want to prepare a recipe that requires white vinegar and realize that the only vinegar left in your kitchen is sherry vinegar, you can still use it.
Depending on the food you are cooking, sherry vinegar will do some magic when used as a white vinegar alternative.
It’s a bit softer than white vinegar but less sweet than balsamic vinegar. So, it may not deliver the harsh taste you are looking for, but you’ll still get a decent acidity in your meal.
Sherry vinegar has a rich and nutty flavor, making it a perfect choice for salad dressings, sauces, and vegetable marinades.
It provides valuable health benefits such as weight loss, reducing indigestion, and improving calcium absorption.
Lemon Juice
If you don’t have any kinds of vinegar in your pantry, you can freely use lemon juice in a pinch since it’s also an acidic ingredient.
Lemon juice will deliver some tanginess to your meal and make it more delicious. However, the meal will have a lemon flavor and not vinegar.
You can use lemon juice in many recipes, including salad dressing, roasts, fried fish, sauces, and marinades.
When using lemon juice in a recipe, you should add a little more to achieve the punchy flavor you get with white vinegar.
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FAQs
Q: What is the Best Substitution for Vinegar?
A: The best substitute for vinegar will depend on the type of food you want to prepare. For example, if you want to replace vinegar when baking, a substitute like lemon juice will be a great choice.
However, lemon juice may not work well on some recipes, especially when canning or pickling. In such cases, you may want to go for white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or malt vinegar.
While you can still use lemon juice in your baking recipes that require only a small amount of vinegar, you may not achieve the strong, pungent flavor.
Q: Can You Replace White Vinegar With Apple Cider Vinegar?
A: Yes, you can replace white vinegar with apple cider vinegar for cooking, baking, and making pickles.
It also makes a perfect substitute for cleaning when you don’t want to use white vinegar that will leave a strong, pungent smell in your house. However, you may not want to use it on white surfaces as it will stain them.
Q: What is White Vinegar Made from?
A: This is a type of vinegar made with acetic acid and water. About 5% of white vinegar is acetic acid, while the remaining 95% is water.
It’s essential to be careful when using white vinegar in recipes as it’s a tangy ingredient with a sharp and strong taste. Such flavor can easily overpower your meal’s taste.
