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Get that white vinegar our of the pantry and use it all through your house!
Using distilled white vinegar with cooking:
1. Poaching Eggs
2. Pickling
3. Baking: Add a teaspoon or two to cakes, cupcakes, or cookies to react with the baking soda. This is especially great in egg-free desserts.
4. Cooking Rice
5. Buttermilk in a Pinch: If you need buttermilk for a recipe, but are fresh out, add one tablespoon of vinegar to one cup of whole milk. Let sit for five to 10 minutes before using.
6. Marinades and Dressings: Use like any other vinegar to balance out sweetness, or enhance saltiness without adding more salt. When used in marinades, it also helps tenderize meat. Distilled white vinegar is best in sauces with a lot of sugar (like bbq sauce), or dressings with a lot of strong herbs and competing ingredients (think chimichurri).
7. Royal Icing: A teaspoon of vinegar in your royal icing balances out the sweetness, and helps it set faster. .
Using distilled white vinegar around the house
1. All-Purpose Cleaning Solution: In a spray bottle, combine one cup of distilled white vinegar with three cups of water and use to clean nearly everything. This solution is good for streak-free windows, stovetops, tiles, and more. If you have a pet, use this mixture to spot clean your carpeting — the vinegar sanitizes and covers up the smell of urine so your dog or cat isn't tempted to revisit the same area. Don't love the smell of vinegar? Let vinegar sit in a jar with strips of lemon zest and thyme for a week or two in a sunny spot, then strain. Mix with water as described above.
2. Relieve Sunburn Pain: Soak a washcloth in a 50/50 solution of distilled white vinegar and water and dab on your sunburn, or add two cups to your bathwater.
3. Clean Your Coffee Maker: To dissolve minerals and oily buildup, fill the water reservoir of your coffee machine with distilled white vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Empty the carafe. Repeat the brewing cycle with water to rinse away vinegar. (As always, follow the manufacturer's care instructions.)
4. Keep Flowers Fresh: Add a few tablespoons of vinegar to your flower water to make your flowers last longer. When the water gets cloudy, dump it out and repeat.
5. Clean Your Microwave: In a microwave-safe container combine a quarter cup of distilled white vinegar and one cup of water. Microwave on high until the mixture comes to a boil and steam forms on the window. Let cool slightly, then wipe away any food residue.
6. Polish Copper, Pewter, and Brass: To remove tarnish, in a small bowl combine a half cup of distilled white vinegar, one teaspoon of salt, and enough flour to make a paste. Rub onto the metal and allow it to stand for 15 minutes. Rinse with clean water and polish with a soft, dry cloth.
7. Clean a Stinky Sink Drain: To keep kitchen drains fresh, pour one cup of distilled white vinegar down the drain once a week. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
8. Clean Butcher Block Countertops: Butcher block countertops are hard to clean because it's not like you can toss them in your sink! Scrub the wood with straight distilled white vinegar to sanitize and freshen (this would also be a great use for that scented vinegar).