There are many legends about fruit vinegars. Are they as useful as traditional medicine claims and are they as harmful as doctors warn?
Instructions
Step 1
History
The word vinegar is translated from Latin as "sour". Fruit vinegars, especially grape and apple cider vinegars, have been known since antiquity; they are also mentioned in ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. They were used both in cooking and in everyday life. Cleopatra even prepared a special "drink of youth and beauty" by dissolving pearls in vinegar. Natural vinegar is not only harmless to the body, but also useful. American physician D. Jarvis, following the example of our ancestors, even wrote a book where vinegar is almost a panacea for all ailments. True, after the craze for this technique, doctors identified many contraindications, including chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys.
Step 2
Cooking.
Grape (aka balsamic) and apple cider vinegars can be purchased at any store. They are cheap, so they are often not natural. In order to determine the naturalness of a product, you must carefully read the label. It should not contain the percentage of vinegar essence, as well as water, salt, sugar and dyes. Natural vinegar is a little more expensive, but it is he who does not have a bad effect on the body and is used "not for fun, but only for the benefit."
In fact, vinegar can be made at home. It's not that hard. Grape or apple juice is poured with water and sprinkled with sugar. Experts recommend taking honey instead of sugar, as it restores the amount of potassium after diluting the juice with water. According to the old old-fashioned method, you need to put on a rubber glove on the neck of the can and bottle with the contents, it will show you the completion of the fermentation process. Next, the resulting liquid must be filtered through cheesecloth and put back in a warm place. When the solution stops boiling and becomes clear, the vinegar is ready. You can bottle it.
Homemade vinegar recipe:
800 gr. apples or grapes; 100-200 grams of honey, 1 liter of water, 10 grams of yeast.
Grate or knead the fruits or berries, pour the resulting mass with water, add honey and yeast. Put in a warm place. Keep for two weeks at a temperature of 24-26 C. Strain and put back in a warm place until the solution becomes clear.
Step 3
In cooking.
Vinegars are used as a dressing for fresh vegetable salads, they perfectly emphasize their taste, add astringency. In addition to vinegar, it is especially useful to season salad with olive oil, this contributes to better digestibility. Vinegars are also commonly used for marinating meat. Under the influence of acetic acid fiber, the meat becomes softer and acquires a unique taste. Also, vinegars are used to make various sauces, such as the famous Chinese sweet and sour.
Chinese Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe:
0.5 cups of grape vinegar, 0.5 cups of sugar, 0.25 cups of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of starch, water.
Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, simmer, gradually dissolving the sugar. Dissolve the starch in cold water, mix thoroughly, add to the first solution. Keep on fire for a couple of minutes. The sauce is ready.
Step 4
In medicine.
What is not recommended to treat with fruit vinegars! Taking internally, you can improve the work of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys. External rubbing can get rid of edema and varicose veins. Relieve fatigue with "vinegar massage". Remove corns and calluses with night compresses with vinegar. The PH level of fruit vinegars is close to the natural balance of our skin, so they are recommended to wipe the skin, it becomes smooth, elastic, inflammation goes away. A mild vinegar solution can be used to rinse your hair to add shine.
Step 5
For weight loss.
The most popular uses for apple cider vinegar and grape vinegar are for weight loss. A solution of vinegar with honey removes toxins and excess salts from the body, dulls appetite, especially relatively sweet ones, and normalizes stool. However, there are a number of contraindications for constant use, such as urolithiasis and diseases of the respiratory and kidney organs.
Recipe for Weight Loss with Vinegar:
In a glass of water, stir two tablespoons of vinegar and a tablespoon of honey. Take on an empty stomach, two hours before meals in the morning, at lunchtime and before bedtime.
