Vinegar

When vinegar is called for in a French kitchen, plain white distilled vinegar is used. For salad dressings, wine vinegars are used. The quality of commercial wine vinegars varies widely, and I find in general that white wine vinegars are milder than red ones. I also use balsamic a lot (even though it is Italian) and, from time to time, sherry vinegar and a number of fruit vinegars. One of my favorite vinegars is a homemade tarragon vinegar (using tarragon from my herb garden). I stuff a clean plastic quart container with the leaves and branches cut from the plants and then fill the container with white distilled vinegar. Within a couple of days the vinegar takes on the color and flavor of the tarragon. It always makes a welcome gift when I am invited to a friend’s home for dinner.