Vinegar’s history is ancient and it is believed its creation was an accident. It’s likely that in 5000 BCE Babylon, someone left an alcoholic beverage exposed to air. Fermentation took place and now it was vinegar. It was used as a condiment, food preservative and even as a cleaning agent. They experimented adding herbs and spices to flavor it.
Time marches on and by 3000 BCE Egyptians were using vinegar. Traces have been found in the ancient tombs. Ancient China professionalized vinegar making. The Greek and Romans used vinegar for cooking, pickling and as a drink.
During the Middle Ages, France introduced the Orleans Process of making vinegar which speeded production. In 1823 a large-scale vinegar making machine became available.
In the U.S., vinegar has a rich history, particularly apple cider vinegar which became popular among early settlers for its ease of preparation. The practice of making vinegar at home became widespread on farms and in rural areas. Its various uses were in fo...