When you hear the word "vinegar," does it conjure rows of inexpensive bottles on a supermarket shelf? If so, you're hardly alone—but you're also missing out. Those vinegars are fine for pickling, the occasional homemade vinaigrette, or spot-cleaning your rug, but there's also a vast world of complex, deeply flavorful artisan vinegars worth tapping into.
The second step is what turns those alcoholic substances into vinegar. This time, instead of yeast, the microorganism in question is acetobacter, sometimes also called acetic acid bacteria. It takes the alcohol, along with oxygen that's available, and converts them into acetic acid, the compound responsible for vinegar's sour, pungent flavor.Traditional methods generally make use of slow fermentations that take a number of months, if not years, to finish.