Many people believe that all types of vinegars have the same properties and uses. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It’s not a pure vinegar, but the brine that’s leftover from pickling ume plums. It’s salty, sour, funky, and sweet, with notes of fermented stone fruit.

On a family trip to Italy a few years back, I got to experience real aged balsamic vinegar — the kind from Modena that is barreled for at least 12 years — for the first time. It was a revelation.

Zimmer's research found that only pure vinegar had antimicrobial effects, and that it had to be strengthened with citric acid to become fully effective in killing off five common bacteria.

The most important thing to remember is that the vinegar has to be properly diluted. "Pure vinegar can overpower and make the potatoes taste sharp if not rinsed or dried properly," Davidov warned us.

There’s a lot of science at work in Easter egg coloring. The dye needs an acid, usually vinegar, to bond with the egg’s shell. WIRED experiments to find the perfect Ph for egg color that pops.