The best balsamic vinegars have nothing else added to them - only the grapes.

Lesser ones will add brown sugar or caramel to mimic the sweetness of the better ones. If a company produces a "traditional" balsamic vinegar, they will also produce a less expensive, but high quality vinegar as well. This is the same vinegar with the same heritage but not aged as long. You can have confidence in purchasing these balsamic vinegars. CHECK YOUR LABELS!

There is a lot of confusion about balsamic vinegar. On the grocery shelves you will find $3.00 bottles next to $25.00 bottles (often the $3.00 bottles have fancier labels). But, buyer beware! Not all balsamic vinegars are what they appear to be.

True aceto balsamic vinegar comes in 3.4 ounce bottles and sells from $50.00 to $500.00 per bottle. It must be aged a minimum of 10 year. The better balsamic vinegars are aged 25 to 50 years (these are not to be poured, but used by the drop). Find a good-quality medium priced one to use in your cooking.

The same country that brought you such notable artists as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, as part of the Renaissance, also provides a culinary artistry that offers incomparable quality and taste - the wonderfully adaptable aged balsamic vinegar, aceto balsamico di Modena. Balsamic vinegar can only be produced in the regions of Modena and Reggio in Italy. The first historical reference to balsamic vinegar dates back to 1046, when a bottle of balsamic vinegar was reportedly given to Emperor Enrico III of Franconia as a gift. In the Middle Ages, it was used as a disinfectant. It also had a reputation as a miracle cure, good for everything from sore throats to labor pains.

Balsamic vinegar is an aged reduction of white sweet grapes (Trebbiano for red and Spergola for white sauvignon) that are boiled to a syrup. The grapes are cooked very slowly in copper cauldrons over an open flame until the water content is reduced by over 50%. The resulting "must" is placed into wooden barrels and an older balsamic vinegar is added to assist in the acetification. Each year the vinegar is transferred to different wood barrels so that the vinegar can obtain some of the flavors of the different woods. The only approved woods are oak, cherry, chestnut, mulberry, a cacia, juniper, and ash. The age of the vinegar is divided into young – from 3 to 5 years maturation; middle aged 6 to 12 years and the highly prized very old which is at least 12 years and up to 150 years old.

For more information on the history of traditional balsamic vinegar: History - History of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

Question: 

Thank you for the information on balsamic vinegar. It was very helpful. Can you tell me if balsamic vinegar has a shelf live. Thank you. - Sandy Marzin (1/18/06)
 

Answer:

Under proper storage conditions, that is, away from direct heat and light, the shelf life is 3 years. Most producers of balsamic vinegar say 2 to 3 years. I, personally, have a bottle of the wonderful aged balsamic vinegar that I have had for 10 years, and it still is great.

The shelf life of balsamic vinegar is almost indefinite. Because of its acid nature, vinegar is self-preserving and does not need refrigeration.
 

 

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Linda's favorite recipes using balsamic vinegar:

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Fresh Figs with Fleur de Sel, Aged Balsamic, & Hazelnuts

Parma Salad

Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar

Watermelon Cubes with Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Faux Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Aged Balsamic Vinegar is a very concentrated dark brown, thick sweet vinegar, and it is a great luxury. If you don't have it in your pantry, reduce your balsamic vinegar with a little brown sugar. It's a good second (chefs have learned to do as the Italians so). Great on beef, poultry, pork, and seafood!