Pantry Potpourri: Vinegar

Pantry Potpourri: 

The Sweet Savings of Vinegar

Vinegar, once the nectar of the gods, is a truly versatile product shoppers should add to their good buy list!  As an all-natural food, vinegar can act as a preservative, balance ph or add a little extra zing to your dish.   I always keep a supply of vinegar handy in my pantry for:

Surface Hard Water/Soap Scum Buildup: If your drains or other surfaces are blotted with water marks and soap scum, wet a paper towel or soak a sponge in white vinegar and apply to desired areas.  Let sit for 30 min - 2 hours.  Wipe and rinse those stains goodbye.  (Do not use on marble as it is too porous).

Showers/Faucet Buildup:  If your shower head or faucet is clogged with minerals try this simple fix: Remove head from the fixture, add to shallow container of vinegar (enough to cover the holes) and let soak for a couple hours or overnight if needed.  Wipe off any excess minerals and let the water run!

Dishwasher Fog: Easily remove soap buildup from your dishwasher by filling a glass cup of white distilled vinegar inside your empty machine and letting it run through a full cycle. Fill your dishwasher with cloudy glasses and plates, add another cup of vinegar and run through the cycle again to take off any unsightly dishware film. (Avoid using with bright colored plasticware - trust me on this one!  It can strip colors.)

Cloudy Vases:  Some narrow neck vases are difficult to run through dishwashers.  To remove any cloudy haze from these containers, fill with equal parts vinegar and water and let sit for a few hours.  Rinse and check out the sparkle!

Fruit Flies:  This past summer I had an "infestation" of fruit flies at my house after a day of peach jam making.  I thought I would lose my mind until I made this simple trap with vinegar!

Homemade Fruit Fly Trap:

1 bowl/bottle

Plastic Wrap

Bait (White or Apple Cider Vinegar or fruit juice)

Place a small amount of bait in the bottom of your container.  Seal tightly with plastic wrap.  Poke a VERY small hole in the center of the plastic - only big enough for a fruit fly to go in - (They can't figure out how to get out after they go in).  You can also roll a small piece of paper into a tight cone shape.  Secure with tape leaving a pinhead size hole in the bottom.  Again, the fruit flies cannot find their way out of the container. Sit back and watch them DIE!!! (I was a little angry about the whole thing as you can tell.)

Oven Grease: "To clean a grease splattered oven door window, saturate it with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Keep the door open for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping with a sponge." - www.vinegartips.com

Buttermilk: In a pinch, add one tablespoon of white distilled vinegar to one cup of milk to make your own buttermilk! Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to thicken.

AWESOME BBQ Beans/Dip: (Thanks "Mom E")

1 lb. Hamburger - Browned                             4 T. Liquid Smoke

2 T. White Vinegar                                           1/2 C - 1 C. Brown Sugar

4  15 oz Cans Pork & Beans                             8 Slices Crumbled Bacon    

1/2 c. Ketchup                                                  1/2 C. Sauteed Onions (optional)

(4) 15 oz Cans Drained Beans (Kidney, black or white)

Combine ingredients in slow cooker.  Cook on high for 2 hours or to desired temperature.  Serve as a side dish or with tortilla chips.

Vinegar truly is a pantry staple a household should never do with out!