Vinegar

Makes 2 quarts Pickled beets are often too sweet (think Harvard beets, which are cloying) or too sour (19th-century New England cooking school teacher Fannie Farmer preserved hers with nothing more than distilled vinegar). The key to pickling beets is the right balance. Boil the brine in a stainless steel or ceramic-lined pot; avoid aluminum as it will cause off flavors. For long-term pantry storage, boiling water processing is necessary; visit the National Center for Home Food Processing at www.uga.edu/nchfp for more details.

The olive oils and balsamic vinegars at Gustare Oils & Vinegars, which opened in Wellesley in January, are so fresh, aromatic, and intensely flavorful, you'll probably decide these are the tastes that give these seasonings their acclaim. The airy shop, with walls painted olive green, is lined with stainless steel fustiwith spigots that store the goods. This is the third location for owners Dave and Catherine Ferraresi (other stores are in Chatham and Mashpee Commons)

What makes balsamic vinegar balsamic? Can it be made at home? Balsamic vinegar, “aceto balsamico’’ in Italian, is in no way easy to make at home. For starters, it’s not even really vinegar. Real vinegar comes from the fermentation of alcohol in wine into acetic acid. Indeed, the word vinegar comes from the Old French “vinaigre,’’ which means “sour wine.’’ Balsamic vinegar, in contrast, is made from the juice of white Trebbiano grapes, the second most widely planted grape worldwide.

Serves 4 Make these a day in advance so the vinegar mixture can flavor the turnips. 1/4  cup water  3  tablespoons red wine vinegar  2  tablespoons sugar  1  tablespoon salt  2  turnips, peeled and thinly sliced  1  jalapeno or other small chili pepper, seeded and thinly sliced  1/2  red onion, thinly sliced  1. In a small saucepan, combine the water, red wine vinegar, sugar, and salt....

Serves 4 3 tablespoons honey 1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard 1/3 cup cider vinegar Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 shallot, sliced 1 pound green beans, trimmed 2 tablespoons chopped...

Here we have three French bistro classics -- salads that balance bright, crisp greens and tangy vinaigrettes with rich ingredients: bacon and poached egg, rounds of baked goat cheese, and a combination of beets, nuts, and blue cheese. These comforting meals provide a dose of cheer and fortification in the midst of winter’s whipping winds. And croutons can add crunch and substance to many dishes, including this Salade Lyonnaise . Frisee Salad with Bacon and Poached Egg ( Salade Lyonnaise )

Serves 4 Make these a day in advance so the vinegar mixture can flavor the turnips. 1/4  cup water  3  tablespoons red wine vinegar  2  tablespoons sugar  1  tablespoon salt  2  turnips, peeled and thinly sliced  1  jalapeno or other small chili pepper, seeded and thinly sliced  1/2  red onion, thinly sliced  1. In a small saucepan, combine the water, red wine vinegar, sugar, and salt....

Serves 6 Slice the cucumbers as thinly as possible, using a mandoline if you have one. Let them sit in the vinegar for several hours before serving. They're still bright green and crisp, with plenty of bite. Use a good-quality vinegar, since there's no oil to cut the acidic taste. Sherry vinegar from Spain, which is now widely available in specialty markets, is a good choice. 8 pickling or small Armenian cucumbers About 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar Salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 ...

Makes about 1 1/2 cups Mostarda is an Italian condiment, something like a chutney, that is typically served with meat. Fresh and dried fruits are simmered with vinegar and seasoned with mustard for a little kick. 1 Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced 1/2 packed cup dried apricots, chopped 1 cup dried cherries or cranberries 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon mustard seeds 1/4 cup red wine...

Serves 4 You can use any vinegar for this recipe. Make sure it's good quality because there's no oil to offset it. Seasoned rice wine vinegar, used in Asian cooking, tastes great with the carrots. 6 large carrots 2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1. Use a hand-held grater to grate the carrots into the longest possible shreds.

Serves 4 Marinate chicken in red wine vinegar, olive oil, and oregano, then saute it until golden. Simmer with more vinegar, creating a dish that is moist with exceptional flavor. Use a bowl or zipper bag to marinate the meat. 3   cups red wine vinegar     Salt and pepper, to taste   1   cup olive oil   2   tablespoons dried oregano   4   bone-in split chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)   4   bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 ½ pounds)

Many growers sell fresh white onions, which are more mild then regular onions. Use 2 fresh white onions or 1 white or sweet onion. The pickle is ready to eat after a couple hours in the fridge. It will keep for a week if you turn the slices in the vinegar from time to time. If you have pickling cukes, use 10. 4 waxless slicing cucumbers (skin intact), very thinly sliced 1 white or sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced About ¼ cup white wine vinegar Salt and pepper, to taste 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or dill ...

Serves 6 You can find fresh red and white onions at farmers' markets, their long greens resembling thick scallions. The onions are much milder than the dried variety and ideal for a quick pickle. This one will mellow in half a day. If your rice vinegar is seasoned, you may not need extra sugar. If it is not, add more to taste. Serve beside grilled chicken or fish. 1 bunch (3 large) red onions Salt and pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon sugar, or more to taste ½ cup rice vinegar, or more to taste 2 tablespoons...

Q. My gravel driveway is near a shallow well, so I can't use weed killer on the weeds that come up through the gravel. But what about a flame-throwing weed machine? My wife said I'd burn down the town and myself, but I received a pledge from my son to stand by with a hose, just in case. CLEM SMITH, Wareham A. Such weed burners are indeed fairly easy to control, so I say go for it! In the meantime, you can sprinkle vinegar on the gravel whenever the weeds grow, and such treatment can keep the gravel free of weeds for a while.

Serves 4 At Aponiente, chef and owner Ángel León prepares this dish using a sous-vide method, which means he cooks the fish in airtight plastic in a water bath. He serves it on plankton; you can use seaweed, if you like. Oven poaching is another way to cook the fish, let it absorb the delicious flavors of the marinade, and preserve the moisture. Substitute seaweed salad for plankton. 1 ¾ pounds skinless, boneless Spanish mackerel ½ cup coarse salt 1 small clove garlic, crushed ¼ cup...

Serves 4 4 medium ripe peaches, halved and pitted 2 tablespoons walnut or olive oil 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar 1 pint raspberry sorbet 1. Light a charcoal grill or turn a gas grill to medium. Or turn on the broiler. 2. In a bowl, toss the peaches, oil, and sugar. Grill the peaches, flat sides down, for 5 minutes.

Serves 4 4 medium ripe peaches, halved and pitted 2 tablespoons walnut or olive oil 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar 1 pint raspberry sorbet 1. Light a charcoal grill or turn a gas grill to medium. Or turn on the broiler. 2. In a bowl, toss the peaches, oil, and sugar. Grill the peaches, flat sides down, for 5 minutes.

Serves 4 From "Simple Chinese Cooking" by Australian-Chinese TV cook Kylie Kwong, comes this recipe. Chill 10-ounces of silken tofu, then cut into 8 thick slices. Sprinkle with ground Sichuan peppercorns and sea salt. Add this dressing: 2 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce mixed with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons chopped scallions, 2 tablespoons malt vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon chili oil, and a dash of sesame oil.

Patrick Vardaro thought he was shifting away from physical labor when he and his wife, Gail, opened Boston Olive Oil Co. on Newbury Street last September. “You get to a point in construction where you don’t want to be up on a roof banging nails in the wintertime. I’m a little past that point,’’ the 53-year-old semi-retired residential contractor says. Little did he know how much physical work he was in for. “Between the deliveries and the filling of the [drums] and the cleaning, there’s a lot of little ins and outs you don’t think about ahead of time.’’ On a recent...

What makes balsamic vinegar balsamic? Can it be made at home? Balsamic vinegar, “aceto balsamico’’ in Italian, is in no way easy to make at home. For starters, it’s not even really vinegar. Real vinegar comes from the fermentation of alcohol in wine into acetic acid. Indeed, the word vinegar comes from the Old French “vinaigre,’’ which means “sour wine.’’ Balsamic vinegar, in contrast, is made from the juice of white Trebbiano grapes, the second most widely planted grape worldwide.