Until the 1980s, balsamic vinegar was one of Italy's least-known culinary treasures. It was made in small batches and aged for decades, and a cask of good balsamic was treated as a family heirloom. Few knew it existed outside of its home in the Emilia-Romagna region, including other Italians. Now it is mass-produced industrially and has become a major export item.
Flavor Profile
No substitute will fully capture the flavor of a good balsamic vinegar, but there are ways to arrive at a similar flavor profile. Balsamic vinegar is mild, as vinegars go, with a mellow flavor. It also has a notable touch of sweetness, which provides a foil for the tartness of the vinegar and gives it a pleasant balance. The vinegar retains notes of dried or cooked fruit, reflecting the oxidation of the original grape juice.
Wine Vinegar
The most straightforward substitution is a good-quality wine vinegar. The best wine vinegars are nearly as mellow as balsamic and have their own subtleties of flavor. To alter wine vinegar so it tastes more like balsamic, first make a simple sugar syrup by simmering 2 cups each of water and sugar for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Once it's cooled, measure out a few tablespoons of the sugar syrup and add wine vinegar to it, drop by drop, until the sweetness and acidity are balanced to your taste. If you wish, you can darken the mixture with a drop or two of caramel color.
Pomegranate Molasses
Pomegranate molasses, as it's sometimes called, has no relation to regular molasses. Rather, it's pomegranate juice that has been cooked down to a thick and syrupy consistency. It's widely used in the cuisines of the Middle East and parts of Central Asia, where it fills the same role played by balsamic vinegar in Western cuisine. Like balsamic vinegar, it's thick, with a fine balance of sweet and tart, and it's rich with subtle, fruity flavors. It can be found in Middle Eastern markets, or you can make your own by simmering a bottle of pure pomegranate juice until thick.
Make Your Own
Making real balsamic vinegar requires years and a lot of equipment that most people don't have around the house. However, the industrial variety is made very quickly, and it's easily duplicated. Buy a bottle of white grape juice, and simmer it down to a thick and syrupy consistency. Add good-quality wine vinegar or sherry vinegar until it has the correct balance of sweet and tangy flavors. This is how industrial balsamic vinegar is made. You can darken it, if you wish, by adding a drop or two of caramel coloring.
References
- "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen"; Harold S. McGee; 2004
- "A New Book of Middle Eastern Food"; Claudia Roden; 1985
- Fine Cooking; Balsamic Vinegar Is Italy's Famed Elixir; Paul Bertolli
- The Cook's Thesaurus; Vinegars; Lori Alden; 2005
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