Quote Originally Posted by 4Walls View Post
I use vinegar too to clean my pans but with a twist.. I make my own maple vinegar. We call it maple cider vinegar. Almost identical to apple cider vinegar but the good stuff. I don't pasteurize it so it is a live vinegar.
I make about 20 gallons a year. Keep 5 for cooking and pickles and salad dressing. Anywhere you want to have a unique vinegar. Its really really good.
What I do is use my late late season syrup. The stuff that tastes a bit like molasses. Draw it off when it is hot and about 15% sugar content. That will make a product that is about 8% abv. From there I let it cool and toss in some activated bread yeast and let it ferment. Once it is done fermenting I add a "mother" from a live apple cider vinegar. Or just dump some non pasteurized live cider vinegar into it and let it go. The secondary process converts the alcohol to vinegar.
I wind up with 20 gallons of amazingly flavourful maple cider vinegar. The final product is about 6% acetic acid. Ideal for pickling. I give bottles of it away. I add about 50ml or mid season syrup to a 500ml bottle of vinegar. It is a crowd favourite. Keep 5 gallons for myself and use the rest to clean pans. Cost pennies.
Ok wow! That sounds really neat! I will have to try that.. It sounds like it may have a similar taste to Balsamic vinegar perhaps?