In article >,
"The Joneses" > wrote:

> "Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > I was just wondering if vinegar loses any of its acidity after it sits
> > (unopened) on the shelf awhile?
> >
> How old? How big an airspace, how many times opened (big jug = many times?)?
> I knew I should have checked something with that truly ancient cider
> vinegar before I tossed it last month. Joy of Pickling mentions that vinegar
> is more evaporative than water, so speaking from a layperson's point of
> view, I think it would depend on how truly ancient (the aforementioned was
> probably over 8 years old), how many times you'd opened it, and the general
> heat or something of the storage and kitchen used.
> I know I've had unopened gallon jugs of vinegar maintain their integrity
> for 3 years so far. That being a better quality commercial wine vinegar. No
> mother or anything.
> Overall, I'd increase the ratio of vinegar to water, if that applies, or
> just toss it and buy some more. 'Specially if it looks or tastes off. m2cw
> Edrena

Thanks for responding. This is a gallon glass jug of high quality
wine vinegar in I had forgotten in the back of the cupboard. Maybe five
years old, never opened until now, very little head space. Tastes
great, looks clear. One priority for this winter is finding a quality
pH meter for canning and preserving. I just wondered if, unopened, if
it could lose acidity.

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot