Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe | Intoxicated on Life (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between balsamic vinegar and balsamic vinaigrette? ›

Balsamic vinegar is pure vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is dark brown in color and has a very robust, slightly sweet flavor. Balsamic vinaigrette is a mixture made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and/or other spices. It is typically used as a salad dressing but has other uses in the kitchen as well.

How Long Does Homemade Vinaigrette Last? Traditional vinaigrettes, like the balsamic version listed below, will last longer—sometimes up to a few weeks. However, anything with fresh garlic should be consumed within a few days, as the combination of garlic and oil can form harmful bacteria over time.

If you find that your vinaigrette has solidified and/or separated after storing it in the fridge, give it time to come back to room temperature before whisking it up to emulsify the mixture once again.

Balsamic vinegar – It fills the dressing with bold, sweet, and tangy flavor. Extra-virgin olive oil – It gives the dressing body and richness. Dijon mustard – For extra tang. Honey or maple syrup – It mellows the acidity of the mustard and balsamic.

"White balsamic is basically the same as regular, but made with white-wine vinegar instead of red-wine vinegar," explains O'Brien. "It's great for dishes where you want that balsamic flavor but don't want to muddy the color of your food—think salads with peaches, etc."

Harris-Pincus explains, "Those looking to follow a lower-carb plan or people watching added sugars would do better avoiding sweeter dressings like Honey Mustard, Thousand Island, French or Catalina, and choose oil and vinegar or a balsamic vinaigrette."

If it looks a little bit cloudy, or there is some sediment at the bottom of the bottle, that is probably just the mother of vinegar precipitating out of the liquid. It is still safe to consume, but if you do not like the cloudiness, you can strain it out.

A vinegar mother is a gelatinous disc that looks like a slice of wobbly raw liver. It's composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria (mycoderma aceti) that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, and turns alcohol into acetic acid with a little help from some oxygen in the air.

Mother of vinegar is a biofilm composed of a form of cellulose, yeast, and bacteria that sometimes develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids during the process that turns alcohol into acetic acid with the help of oxygen from the air and acetic acid bacteria (AAB).

Balsamic vinegar is fantastic for gut health. In fact, it's one of the best foods you can eat if you have digestive disorders or problems with food intolerances. The enzymes in balsamic vinegar help with digestion and absorption of nutrients, making this an excellent addition to any diet plan.

Can I use balsamic vinaigrette instead of balsamic vinegar? ›

Replace the balsamic vinegar called for with an equal amount of balsamic vinaigrette. This will add olive oil to your recipe, but that should work just fine in the recipes that call for balsamic vinegar.

Why is it called balsamic vinegar? Balsamic vinegar actually derives its name from the word balm (rooted in the Latin balsamum), which refers to an aromatic resin or odour, as well as a substance that soothes, relieves or heals.

Red Wine Vinegar, Soy Sauce, and Grape Jelly: Since balsamic is made from grapes, adding grape jelly to red wine vinegar might not be the worst idea. Combine one tablespoon of red wine vinegar, one teaspoon of grape jelly and ½ teaspoon of soy sauce for a little savory richness.

Since the origin and production process isn't guaranteed by the label, you'll get a very wide range of quality. Some condimento vinegars might be excellent -- aged for years and made from cooked grape must -- and some might be wine vinegar with food coloring masquerading as Italian balsamic.