5 Clever Ways to Use Vinegar

This magazine clipping was found among a bunch of old recipe cards in a recipe file box. Judging from the reverse side ( a sweepstakes entry), it dates to the mid 1990s. However, the advice given here can certainly still be used today.

5 CLEVER WAYS TO USE VINEGAR

• Give bean or vegetable soups more zip: Just before serving, splash in red-wine vinegar (1 tsp. at a time to taste). This gives the soup a lively tartness. 
• Make “buttermilk”: In a pinch, add 1 Tbsp white vinegar to 1 cup milk; let stand 5 minutes to thicken. 
• Extend the life of cut flowers: Keep them in 2 Tbsp white vinegar, 3 Tbsp sugar and 1 qt warm water. (At least 3 inches of stems should be underwater.) 
• Serve fluffier white rice: Add 1 tsp white vinegar to the boiling water just before stirring in the rice. 
• Give ripe strawberries a sweet, mouth-watering tang: Gently mix 1 pint sliced strawberries with 2 Tbsp 

I use the buttermilk tip quite often to make homemade “buttermilk” salad dressings. I also dilute white vinegar with water for some household cleaning and add a generous splash (or "glug") of white vinegar to my waterbath or pressure canner before processing jars to keep the white hard water film from forming on the jar sides.

What are some of the ways you use vinegar? I know there are a lot. Comment with your vinegar tips and “secrets”.