Easy Maple Vinaigrette Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Which vinegar is best for vinaigrette? ›

In addition to white wine vinegar, red wine, sherry, balsamic and cider vinegars can all be used in the same quantities as above. It's really down to personal taste and it's great to have a selection of vinegars in your cupboard to give variety to even the simplest salads.

For a traditional vinaigrette, you'll need to mix about 3 tablespoons of oil to 1 tablespoon of vinegar. You'll also want to add some salt and pepper to taste. Of course, for all four ingredients, the better the quality you use, the better your vinaigrette will taste.

Here is a perfect example of a culinary ratio, one that's fairly standard: The 3-to-1 vinaigrette, or 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar.

Balsamic vinegar contains beneficial antioxidants, no fat, and very few calories. (You can read more about its health benefits here.) It packs a lot of flavor into a small amount, so it goes a long way on salads.

The Basic Vinaigrette Formula

The most basic ratio for making a salad vinaigrette is: one part vinegar (or other acid) three parts oil.

Once basic vinaigrette is ready, you can tweak things for a change into balsamic vinaigrette, creamy vinaigrette, or Parmesan pepper vinaigrette.

In a pint-size jar, combine the vinegar, garlic, mustard, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cover and shake to dissolve the salt. Add the olive oil and shake to blend. Taste for seasoning.

Homemade vinaigrette keeps for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, so it's worth the 5 minutes it takes to mix it up. Then you can keep it on hand for all of your salad needs.

Oil and Vinegar are essential in creating an optimal emulsion – where the two ingredients bind together so well that you can't separate them even when shaken vigorously. An optimal emulsion happens when you combine these ingredients in equal parts with a ratio of three parts oil to one part vinegar (3:1).

No matter how hard you try to shake, stir, or whisk oil and vinegar together, they eventually separate. This happens because vinegar and oil are made of very different types of molecules that are attracted to their own kind. ... Oils are a type of fat (like butter, shortening, and lard) and are considered non-polar.

Can I leave homemade vinaigrette out? ›

The exception to this would be if your homemade vinaigrette solely consists of shelf-stable ingredients like oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. "Even with some mustard, honey or tahini included, the vinaigrette will likely be safe to eat unrefrigerated; however, the flavors will keep best when stored cold," Ziata says.

Proponents of apple cider vinegar claim that it has numerous health benefits and that drinking a small amount or taking a supplement before meals helps curb appetite and burn fat.

Dosage recommendations can vary, but taking 1–2 tablespoons (tbsp.), or 15–30 milliliters (mL), of apple cider vinegar with water before or after meals may be beneficial. This article outlines how much apple cider vinegar you should drink for different health benefits, as well as the best ways to avoid side effects.

Distilled white vinegar is the one most often used in cleaning, for its antibacterial properties. It's made from feeding oxygen to a vodka-like grain alcohol, causing bacteria to grow and acetic acid to form.

Distilled White Vinegar

This sharp, strong vinegar is made by fermenting distilled alcohol. It's very inexpensive to make, which makes it popular for use in commercial production of salad dressings and condiments.

Orange infused olive oil goes well with dark chocolate balsamic vinegar. Use for desserts and ice cream. Oregano olive oil with lemon balsamic vinegar is great for marinades. Harissa infused olive oil and pineapple balsamic vinegar can be used as a sweet and spicy marinade for pork.

Now, don't confuse distilled with basic white vinegar, which is stronger and has up to 25% acetic acid. That vinegar is sold exclusively for cleaning purposes and is not a good idea to ingest. However, beyond cooking, distilled white vinegar can be used for many of the same household chores.

Colavita Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

This bargain find is readily available in most stores and is great for adding a touch of acidity to a hearty tomato sandwich or a veggie-packed salad.