Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

 

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

This easy-to-make sauce will add a fancy finishing touch to appetizers such as Salmon Tartare, Crab Cakes or Tomato Salad, among others. The vinegar is reduced to a glaze and will stay fresh in the refrigerator indefinitely.
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Wait time10 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Cooking Techniques
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

Ingredients

  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Please! Do not use expensive balsamic vinegar to make the reduction; it will be a big waste of a fantastic product and money. Use an inexpensive imitation of the real balsamic vinegar of Modena.

  • Pour vinegar into a small stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce on medium heat to ¼ cup, or until the vinegar turns to a glaze.
  • Leave at room temperature for a few minutes to slightly cool before pouring in a plastic squeeze bottle. Now, keep in the refrigerator.
  • Before use, set the squeeze bottle of reduced vinegar out until it reaches room temperature.
  • To decorate, drizzle the balsamic vinegar reduction around the plated food or over the plate.

Video

Notes

History of balsamic vinegar: 
  • 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 The first historical reference to balsamic vinegar dates back to 1046 when a bottle of balsamic vinegar was reportedly given to Emperor Enrico III of Franconia as a gift.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. Balsamic vinegar also had a reputation as a miracle cure, good for everything from sore throats to labor pains.
  • Made from the white Trebbiano grape, balsamic vinegar gets its pungent sweetness from aging for several years in wood barrels. During the Middle Ages, this sugar-rich grape was used primarily for wine, but its high acidity made it better suited for producing vinegar. Produced in Modena, Italy, the maturation process takes place in a series of barrels made from a variety of woods and lasts from 6 to 25 years. 
 
Each year, the vinegar is transferred to different wooden barrels so that it can obtain some of the flavors of the different types of wood. The only approved woods used are oak, cherry, chestnut, mulberry, acacia, juniper, and ash.
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