You can purchase all kinds of vinegar, Rice, Balsamic, Wine, Pure Apple Cider, Malt ,White Distilled, *Flavored*, Organic, store brands, name brands, and make your own from virtually any fruit or vegetable. Any vinegar you purchase or make should have 5% Acidity to make it safe for use in canning or preserving.
There is a pH scale ranging from 1-14, with 7 being neutral. For each whole number above 7 it's 10 times less acidic (alkaline), for each whole number below 7 it's 10 times more acidic. The pH value for pure water is 7. There are test strips available for testing vinegar or rather acids and alkalines, whether your own or other. And for fun, use a test strip to test your tap water, well water and bottled water just to see what you discover. Compare the strips to the vinegar strips. This is a great learning project to do with the kidlets for their next science project. Oh, while you're doing that, place an egg (in shell) in pure vinegar and see what happens.
I did a non-scientific survey of followers to find out how many keep their vinegar in the refrigerator and how many keep it in the cupboard or another location. The results were interesting, with most keeping it in the cupboard while others preferred cold vinegar for salads, dietary supplements and for treating minor insect bites or wounds and burns. Quite a few said the laundry room, barn and coop. But what I found most interesting in this survey, was that many kept it in the refrigerator because they were afraid it would mold. What they were referring to was the *mother* of the vinegar. In pure, unfiltered vinegar, there is a substance that looks a bit slimy and gelatinous. That is not mold and will not mold. That is what activates vinegar and proves to you that it is pure. That *mother* substance can be used to start your own batch of vinegar. There is nothing wrong with your vinegar if you happen to see this material in it. You can strain it out if you choose to do so, but discard the idea that it is some kind of bacterial substance, it is not. Distilled vinegar will not contain, nor form this substance, it will only be found in pure, unfiltered, non-distilled vinegar. It's easy to make and very little hands on time involved.
To make your own vinegar, refer to the link:
justfowlingaround.weebly.com/recipes-for-self-reliance/category/how-to-make-vinegar
Vinegar is naturally anti-bacterial, so using it for cleaning chores, deodorizers, grease removers, rust and stain removal will make clean up chores easy and bacteria free.
But there are other uses for Vinegar around the house as well, indoors and outdoors.
The vinegar can be used diluted or non-diluted, mixed with salt or baking soda, earth friendly soap, detergent or borax and used in liquid form or used as a paste.
Vinegar solutions can be used in spray form in place of deodorizers, it can be used in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry room, in the barn or the coop.
Insect Control:
When canning set out a jar of vinegar to deter the fruit flies. Set the jar away from your work area to attract the annoying lil buggers toward the vinegar rather than your work area. Refer to the link to make your own fruit fly catcher. justfowlingaround.weebly.com/earth-friendly-projects/fruit-fly-control
Are you in an area where ticks are a problem? Dab some full strength vinegar on those ticks to make them back out of the flesh on your pets. With tweezers, drop the tick into a small container of full strength vinegar. The vinegar won't hurt your pets but will help rid them of those ticks. I have not tried vinegar on ants, but it may work just as well on them. But there are other home remedies that work well for ants (try cornmeal at their entry point).
The original Four Thieves formula is believed to have a vinegar base. Four thieves was used to combat the plague during medieval times. The reason the concoction worked is that the combined herbs repelled the *rat fleas* that caused the plaque. Though there are many recipes for the Four Thieves Vinegar, most use a basic four herb combination with the addition of other herbs. Sage, Thyme, Lavender and Rosemary are often the four main herbs, along with cloves of garlic. The herbs are infused with Red or White Wine vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar or Distilled White vinegar. There are no specific recipes for making Four Thieves Vinegar, and some recipes use 7-11 different herbs. There is a version housed in the Museum of Paris, of what is believed to be the original formula that was scrawled on the walls in the cities that were affected by the plaque. You can make your own by crushing the dried herbs, filling a mason jar 3/4 full and pouring your choice of vinegar over the herbs. Cap with a plastic cap or a piece of plastic wrap between the lid and the vinegar to prevent the vinegar reaction with the metal lid. Label and set in the pantry for two weeks, shaking daily to distribute the solution. Strain off the herbs, and store in a clean mason jar. Use as a bug spray in the coop or outdoors near the day use areas, such as the patio. This can also be used as a cleaning solution.
Outdoors:
Do you have pesky weeds or moss growing in the cracks of the sidewalk, stone walkway or driveway? Full strength vinegar will kill those weeds. The reason vinegar works for this is that it alters the pH of the plant. NEVER randomly spray vinegar in your yard or around your prized vegetable garden or landscape plants. It kills any plant it touches.
Pour some White vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray on ice coated windows and mirrors. The Vinegar will melt the ice away.
In the Coop and Brooder:
We use vinegar in the water for our chickens periodically to aid with digestion and it helps prevent coccidiosis in chicks. This is important especially if you order chicks from hatcheries that are stressed during shipping. Mortality rate can be high with stressed chicks and very often leads to cocci. So we do recommend as you prepare your brooders for shipped chicks, that you include vinegar water that is ready upon arrival. Chicks you purchase from the feed store will also benefit from some vinegar water, they have already been shipped from hatcheries and moved again when you purchase them, so stresses can be detrimental and vinegar water is one way to help the chicks adjust as it brings their system back into balance.
In Cooking:
Of course vinegar can be used to preserve garden vegetables for long term storage in the form of canning or refrigerated produce that can be stored in the refrigerator to be eaten once the vinegar flavor has absorbed into those vegetables. One thing I enjoy making is refrigerator pickles and pickled garlic cloves. Refer to the links. For Pickled Garlic: justfowlingaround.weebly.com/appetizers/pickled-garlic
Make your own Pickled Eggs. Pickled eggs are expensive to purchase, and some restaurants and bars offer pickled eggs as bar food to their patrons. They are easy to make and little hands on time. Refer to the link to make your own pickled eggs. justfowlingaround.weebly.com/recipes-for-self-reliance/preserve-the-bounty
Make your own Salsa or BBQ sauce. Vinegar is the flavor enhancement in both Salsa and barbeque sauces. Refer to the links to make your own. Fresh Peach Salsa: http://justfowlingaround.weebly.com/appetizers/fresh-peach-salsa
When we were growing up, our Mother made a sweet and sour sauce that was poured over mashed potatoes. It was a mixture of Evaporated milk, a little sugar and vinegar. It would also be good on other vegetables, but it was only served on fresh mashed potatoes in our household. For the link to my version of the sweet and sour white cream sauce:
justfowlingaround.weebly.com/from-the-pantry/sweet-n-sour-cream-sauce
Use Vinegar in place of Lemon juice when making your own Ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese is easy to make, just milk, cream, vinegar and salt to make the curds then strain through cheese cloth. Use in your favorite Lasagna recipe.
Use vinegar to make your own buttermilk substitute. Just add a little vinegar to milk and use in recipes calling for buttermilk.
Do you have problems peeling hard boiled eggs? Boil them in vinegar water. The vinegar works to soften egg shells as they are boiling, which makes them easier to peel. (Note: This partially removes the calcium benefits in the eggshells so they would no longer be a source of calcium for the hens.)
Use Vinegar to wash your fresh eggs prior to use. Vinegar is a natural antibacterial agent. If your farm fresh eggs are dirty from the coop, wash them in vinegar, and refrigerate to use within a few days. Spring and Winter months tend to be muddy with rain and snow melt, so as the hens lay and share nesting boxes, mud can collect no matter what you do to prevent it. The mud is full of pathogens, and not something you want to bring into your kitchen. A vinegar wash will help prevent food borne illness and coop to kitchen pathogens.
Make your own herbal vinegars. The herbal vinegar has many uses for making salad dressing, used as a tincture, and can be used in cleaning for an herbal fresh scent.
Household Cleaning:
Many people, including professional window washers, swear by vinegar window washer. Dilute the vinegar with water, and pour into a spray bottle. Spray on the windows or mirrors and wipe off or use a squeegie. Some add a little salt to the solution to help remove grime.
Vinegar will help clear clogged drains and deodorize at the same time. Pour some baking soda in the drain, then pour full strength vinegar down the drain. The chemical reaction of the two substances will help dissolve the clog. Run water through the drain. Repeat if necessary.
Vinegar, full strength helps to remove mold and mildew around sinks, showers and tubs. A solution of vinegar and citrus will also leave it smelling fresh and clean.
Full strength Vinegar is safe to use on fiberglass showers and shower doors, to help remove the body oils and soap residue.
If you use a sponge, soak in vinegar, then squeeze out the excess. Works to help remove bacteria.
One of my favorite uses is as a citrus cleaner for household or coop. After the citrus sits in the vinegar awhile, it will no longer smell like vinegar, but very citrusy. You can also mix your vinegar with your favorite herbs, so that not only is it cleaning and disinfecting, but it is leaving a fresh smell behind. Refer to the link to make your own citrus cleaner:
justfowlingaround.weebly.com/earth-friendly-projects/concentrated-citrus-household-cleaner
Cleaning window blinds, and metal or painted window frames are easy to obtain sparkling clean and fresh smelling results.
For the Body:
Vinegar helps minor scrapes and scratches to heal, and though it does have a bit of a sting it isn't intolerable like some wound medications can be. Dabbing a bit on insect bites will help those stop itching and start healing.
Full strength Vinegar gently rubbed on a sunburn will ease the pain. If the vinegar is cold from the refrigerator, it will take the fire out of burns from the stove or sunburn.
Some people believe in using vinegar as a dietary aid. Typically the daily does is 1 tablespoon either full strength or diluted with water, or a little honey or sugar added to make it a bit more palatable. If you use vinegar as a dietary supplement you must be aware that vinegar can build up in the system and cause a toxic reaction. With moderate use, vinegar is usually safe to ingest. It is best to use a non-filtered, non-distilled vinegar for this purpose.
The original Four Thieves Vinegar is believed to have a vinegar base. Four thieves was used to combat the plague.
Other Uses:
Vinegar has been used for setting dye in cotton fabrics so those colors will not bleed. If you have been interested in making your own natural dyes for dying fabrics or yarns, you will want to soak them in vinegar after the dying solution has dried to assure those colors will remain in the fabric, and not leach out with regular washing and so they will not bleed into other items that you may wash with them.
Electronics, such as computer keyboards, cell phones, monitor screens and television screens all get cruddy with use, but a quick swipe with vinegar will clean them. Just make sure the cloth you use is rung out to prevent any drips of the vinegar or solution into the electronics that may damage them or damage wood surfaces. With the disinfecting quality of vinegar, your keyboard and phone will leave them bacteria free once again. Be sure to check manufacture recommendations to make sure the devices are compatible with any kind of cleaning solution to prevent damages.
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