Apple cider vinegar?

"sandy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can anyone tell me if apple cider vinegar can go bad? I made coleslaw,,,,and it smelled
funny,,,,,,the taste of coleslaw was o.k.., but not the smell. I kept the vinegar on the shelf for
maybe 3 or 4 years.?? Thanks for your help. Sandy

I am pretty sure that it cannot go bad as in "spoil" or make you sick - but if the taste or smell is
off, something has happened and it should be replaced.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

"sandy" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Can anyone tell me if apple cider vinegar can go bad? I made coleslaw,,,,and it smelled
funny,,,,,,the taste of coleslaw was o.k.., but not the smell. I kept the vinegar on the shelf for
maybe 3 or 4 years.?? Thanks for your help. Sandy

Generally speaking, vinegars are not at all subject to spoilage as the acid environment is
inhospitable to almost anything that could grow in it. My grandmother cultured various vinegars from
the vinegar "mother" and kept those batches going for many years. Balsamic vinegars are aged in
casks longer than many whiskeys.

That said, however, I wonder what kind of container your vinegar is stored in. If plastic, it's
possible that some off flavor might develop from the storage container itself. If glass or
stoneware, I can't think of anything that would cause it.

Wayne

sandy said:

Can anyone tell me if apple cider vinegar can go bad? I made coleslaw,,,,and it smelled
funny,,,,,,the taste of coleslaw was o.k.., but not the smell. I kept the vinegar on the shelf for
maybe 3 or 4 years.??

Cider vinegar will lose acetic acid strength if heated or exposed to lots of light. Like being in
sunlight or even bright kitchen light for any period of time. The overall scent profile will change
over time to smell less acid and will develop a "fatty" smell and mouthfeel. Hard to explain exactly
what "fatty" means, but once you smell it, you'll know what I mean. The vinegar will still be
usable, but diminished acidity means that some uses aren't going to work as well and some may end up
being hazardous (like pickling and canning some foods).

Bob

Wayne Boatwright <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

If glass or stoneware, I can't think of anything that would cause it.

Perhaps it was a metal capped glass bottle...and the vinegar rusted out the cap, giving it a
off flavour..

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

Thanks to everyone for your replies..........Yes,,,it was in a plastic
container,,,,,and a bright kitchen.......that could be it.......I'll replace
it.
"Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

sandy said:

Can anyone tell me if apple cider vinegar can go bad? I made coleslaw,,,,and it smelled
funny,,,,,,the taste of coleslaw was o.k..,

but

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

not the smell. I kept the vinegar on the shelf for maybe 3 or 4 years.??

Cider vinegar will lose acetic acid strength if heated or exposed to lots of light. Like being in
sunlight or even bright kitchen light for any period of time. The overall scent profile will
change over time to smell less acid and will develop a "fatty" smell and mouthfeel. Hard to
explain exactly what "fatty" means, but once you smell it, you'll know what I mean. The vinegar
will still be usable, but diminished acidity means that some uses aren't going to work as well and
some may end up being hazardous (like pickling and canning some foods).

Bob

sandy said:

Can anyone tell me if apple cider vinegar can go bad? I made coleslaw,,,,and it smelled
funny,,,,,,the taste of coleslaw was o.k.., but not the smell. I kept the vinegar on the shelf
for maybe 3 or 4 years.??

Was it a stale or musty smell? I'm surprised the finished coleslaw smelled funny... although I
wouldn't be surprised if a partially used bottle had that type of smell when you first opened it
(after being stored for so long).

Practice safe eating - always use condiments

sandy said:

Thanks to everyone for your replies..........Yes,,,it was in a plastic container,,,,,and a bright
kitchen.......that could be it.......I'll replace it. "Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

sandy wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I kept the vinegar on the shelf for maybe 3 or 4 years.??

It was out where you could see it??? <LOL> You need more recipes that call for vinegar!

On a serious note: Given all the talk about not reusing the plastic bottles that water comes in...
buy your vinegar in a glass bottle next time.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments