What is Balsamic Vinegar?
Balsamic vinegar is a particular type of vinegar with a characteristic aroma and brown color. It is obtained from the sugary and acetic fermentation of grape must, which is previously cooked at a temperature not lower than 80 degrees centigrade.
Production
To produce a good balsamic vinegar it is important to choose suitable barrels, since the precious woods that compose them give the balsamic vinegar its particular aromatic quality. For their realization the woods of oak, chestnut, cherry, mulberry and juniper are usually used.
The entire production process follows a secular ritual, wisely preserved by families that are handed down from generation to generation of recipes and places of production. The whole process thus assumes a meaning full of charm and tradition.
The vinegar cellars, containing a mother barrel that feeds 3-10 barrels of decreasing dimensions, are exposed for years in the floors where they mature thanks to the passage from the rigidity of winters to the heat of summer. Every spring, by skilfully exploiting the decanting technique, a certain amount of balsamic vinegar is taken from the smaller barrel (25-30%) which is then brought to the level with the adjacent barrel vinegar (slightly larger in size). The process is repeated in the barrel for the barrel up to the mother barrel containing the vintage cooked must.
Due to this continuous reinforcement process it is not possible to determine exactly the age of the balsamic vinegar taken. It can only be affirmed that a certain percentage of the vinegar in question has undergone an aging equal to the time elapsed between the starting of the vinegar plant and the moment in which the food is taken.
The barrels containing balsamic vinegar are not sealed but simply covered with a rough cloth held in place by a stone. This prevents unwanted contact (insects and bad weather), leaving the bacteria free to exchange oxygen with the surrounding environment.
Each type of balsamic vinegar requires different maturation times; generally this period should not be less than 12 years. Some vinegars are aged up to 25-50 years reaching high figures (on average we speak of 500 euros per liter for a product aged a quarter of a century).
A good balsamic vinegar is such only if it is produced from high quality grapes. Generally the fruit of the Trebbiano vineyards (from Spain or common Trebbianina) and Lambrusco, varieties chosen as they are naturally rich in sugars, is used.
The best balsamic vinegars, protected by the IGP brand and by very strict consortia, are produced in Emilia Romagna in the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Due to the long aging period the cost of this product is very high. In any case, for many admirers its unmistakable aroma fully pays for the small economic sacrifice.
Video Recipes with Balsamic Vinegar Icing
Property
Nutritional Properties and Organoleptic Characteristics
Balsamic vinegar is an excellent product also from a nutritional point of view. Its caloric content is modest (around 100 Kcal per 100 grams) and becomes practically nil if we consider that a few drops are normally sufficient to embellish the dishes. This food turns into a validated ally of its own silhouette when used instead of salt or other high-calorie condiments (vegetable oils and butter).
A quality balsamic vinegar looks like a sliding syrup (neither too thick nor too liquid) of dark color, heavy and shiny. In reference to this last feature it is appropriate to say that not all that glitters is gold. The growing interest in this particular seasoning has in fact led many industries to devise alternative production methods capable of cutting costs and mimicking their organoleptic characteristics. Low-priced balsamic vinegars are generally artificially enriched with preservatives, caramel, colorings and aromatic substances. The product is also diluted with normal wine vinegar.
storage
Balsamic vinegar does not undergo particular alterations during storage. However, it is advisable to store it in a tightly closed glass container.
