Raw Living Vinegar

We Make Raw, Living Vinegars

Vinegar is a living breathing ingredient when it is made. There is a rich community of microbes that convert alcohol into acetic acid, which it what gives vinegar it’s acidity. The vast majority of vinegars on the shelves at grocery stores are pasteurized at high temperatures, killing off these probiotic cultures. We never pasteurize our vinegars for the following reasons:

Brighter, More Robust Flavor

Raw vinegar tends to have more depth, body, and character than pasteurized or distilled versions, especially when fermented from craft sources. Pasteurizing vinegar will chemically alter it in a way that changes the flavor and body. In the same way that a cooked apple will taste different than a raw apple slice, a pasteurized vinegar will lose a lot of those incredible fresh bright flavors. Our vinegar is less processed than the vast majority of what you will find on grocery shelves. 

Beneficial for Gut Health

As we learn more and more about the importance of probiotic cultures for our gut health, it has become clear that the wider variety of beneficial bacteria we can work into our diet, the better off we will be. Eating meals rich in probiotic foods such as kimchi, saurkraut, kefir, and raw vinegar is going to be beneficial to an all around healthy lifestyle.

Are there downsides to keeping vinegar raw and alive?

Yes and no. When a vinegar is raw, such as ours, vinegar “mother” and sediment can form within the bottle. This stuff is harmless and does NOT impact that flavor or quality of the vinegar. It is just a sign that the probiotic cultures within the vinegar are alive and healthy. Some people may find this unsightly which is why most vinegar is pasteurized. If your vinegar forms too much sediment or forms a mother (a pale colored raft floating on the surface) you can either just shake it back in or filter it out if you so choose.