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10 Delicious Ways You can Use Balsamic Vinegar

When it comes to balsamic vinegar recipes, people are often confused about which balsamic to use since they are so many of them. But the type of balsamic you should use depends on what you will be using it for. But most people are aware of just one use of balsamic and it’s as a salad dressing. Yes, it’s definitely great as a salad dressing since it’s relatively lower in calories than other kinds of dressings. However, this black gold can be used for many other healthy and delicious purposes too. Here are a few.

1. For Marinating

A great balsamic such as Secolari California Balsamic Vinegar, pepper, salt and extra virgin olive oil together make awesome meat marinade. Agreed that there are hoards of variations, but you can start with this base.

balsamic as marinade

2. For Sauces

If you want a delicious sauce for fish or meat, just reduce a young balsamic in a pan and add seasoning as per your liking, and there you are. For this, you’ll need a low density balsamic such as 1.17 – 1.20 kg/Lt.

3. Finishing for Fish and Meat

But if you are not very much into cooking sauces or have no time, you have another great option. Take older, more intense and seemingly denser balsamic vinegar and you don’t need to reduce it. It should have density from 1.30 to 1.35 kg/Lt. Use it as a finishing for meat and fish in the form of a number of drops. And if there is a special event like your birthday or wedding anniversary, you can even use a few drops of 25 year old traditional balsamic vinegar.

4. Finishing for Sauces and Soups

Ripe summer tomatoes and balsamic vinegar together make an amazing combination. It’s not even very tough to make tomato-based sauces and soups. A tip here is to add a dash of balsamic to the dishes in the very end and flavors will amazingly come together.

5. In Braised Dishes

While balsamic added in the end creates a splash of intensity, using a little balsamic as a part of the liquid in a braise offers the entire dish a rich, a bit of sweet flavor, e.g. braised spring radishes or French onion chicken. Consider balsamic as wine and add it together with broth or other liquid.

6. Dip for Fresh Vegetables

Mix balsamic with extra virgin olive oil and some seasoning in a small bowl. This is an amazing dip for freshly cut celery, carrots and other crunchy veggies. If you want the dip to be a little sweeter, use a denser balsamic such as 1.27 kg/Lt. Remember, the denser the balsamic, the sweeter it is.

balsamic as vegetable dip

7. Enjoy with Strawberries

Balsamic can be an amazing topping on strawberries. Use a few drops of intense velvety balsamic. You can even make a strawberry-balsamic sauce for your desserts.

8. In Cocktail and Soda

Given its sweet flavor, balsamic has a quite similar taste profile as shrub syrups and you can use it in much the same way. Dilute balsamic in soda water for a very mature sparkling drink – make strawberry balsamic soda! In cocktails, you can mix balsamic with liquors such as rye and bourbon.

9. With Ice Cream

Real balsamic fans would love this. Just add a few drops of one of the products from the Secolari Balsamic Vinegar Collection to vanilla ice cream and a heaven of flavors will open up for you!

Secolari California Balsamic Vinegar

10. With Cheeses

If you don’t know, older balsamic is a great match for cheese. You’ll need organic balsamic vinegar for this purpose.

Finally, you should remember that balsamic vinegar, like many other foods, should be consumed in moderation to maintain your health.

So, are you ready to use balsamic in this variety of ways? Try them and enjoy so many dishes from this sweet humble angel.