Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
and adds to the flavour.

Dora

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 11:35:23 -0500, Dora wrote:

> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> and adds to the flavour.
>
> Dora

i always thought 'greens' were southern, period.

your pal,
blake

"Dora" > wrote:

>
>Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
>spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
>and adds to the flavour.

I was brought up in the middle of NY state. Most southern influence
was Staten Island. I like vinegars on most greens- especially
cabbage. I thought it might be a German thing- have some of those
on both sides.

And there is no rule against butter *and* vinegar.<g>

Jim

On Dec 2, 10:35*am, "Dora" > wrote:
> Is it a Southern thing? *My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> spinach, etc. *I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> and adds to the flavour.
>
> Dora


I'm purely Midwest (English/German ancestry), and we always had
vinegar on spinach. On cabbage? Yes, as in coleslaw, but not
otherwise.

My dad (the English side of the family) liked wedges of iceberg
lettuce sprinkled with vinegar and a small bit of sugar - very tasty.

N.

"Nancy2" > wrote in message
...
> On Dec 2, 10:35 am, "Dora" > wrote:
>> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
>> spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
>> and adds to the flavour.
>>
>> Dora
>
>
> I'm purely Midwest (English/German ancestry), and we always had
> vinegar on spinach. On cabbage? Yes, as in coleslaw, but not
> otherwise.
>
> My dad (the English side of the family) liked wedges of iceberg
> lettuce sprinkled with vinegar and a small bit of sugar - very tasty.

I grew up eating lettuce in vinegar I haven't made it since though I must
admit and I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it

Ahh memories.
--
--
https://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On Dec 2, 8:35*am, "Dora" > wrote:
> Is it a Southern thing? *My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> spinach, etc. *I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> and adds to the flavour.
>
> Dora

Yes it is a Southern thing. I have a bottle of Crystal vinegar and
hot peppers in my frige. I love it on collard greens, mixed greens,
turnip greens, you name it. The cool think about hot pepper vinegar
is that the bottle is filled with the little hot peppers and all you
have to do is replentish the vinegar when it runs low, the peppers
will heat it up over and over and over again. I have had this same
bottle of hot peppers in vinegar for probably 4 years and it still
does it's thang.

Yum.

On Dec 2, 9:33*am, ImStillMags > wrote:
> On Dec 2, 8:35*am, "Dora" > wrote:
>
> > Is it a Southern thing? *My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> > spinach, etc. *I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> > and adds to the flavour.
>
> > Dora
>
> Yes it is a Southern thing. * I have a bottle of Crystal vinegar and
> hot peppers in my frige. *I love it on collard greens, mixed greens,
> turnip greens, you name it. * The cool think about hot pepper vinegar
> is that the bottle is filled with the little hot peppers and all you
> have to do is replentish the vinegar when it runs low, the peppers
> will heat it up over and over and over again. *I have had this same
> bottle of hot peppers in vinegar for probably 4 years and it still
> does it's thang.
>
> Yum.

Here's how to make your own. It is exactly correct.

http://mostlycajun.com/wordpress/?p=1718

On 12/2/2010 10:35 AM, Dora wrote:
>
> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> and adds to the flavour.
>
> Dora

Some of the restaurants here (Louisiana) have Cajun Chef on the table,
right next to the salt and pepper. We use it on turnip greens, cabbage,
green beans and I like it on pinto beans or black-eyed peas. You can
add white vinegar to the bottle to replace what you have used. My
sister grows peppers, so she makes ours.

http://www.cajungrocer.com/cajun-che...s-2-p-785.html

Becca

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 11:50:17 -0500, blake murphy
> wrote:

>On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 11:35:23 -0500, Dora wrote:
>
>> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
>> spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
>> and adds to the flavour.
>>
>> Dora
>
>i always thought 'greens' were southern, period.

That's because southerners can't spell spinach, collards, mustard,
kale, etc.... since they're all green ergo 'greens', period.

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 09:33:32 -0800 (PST), ImStillMags wrote:

> On Dec 2, 8:35*am, "Dora" > wrote:
>> Is it a Southern thing? *My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
>> spinach, etc. *I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
>> and adds to the flavour.
>>
>> Dora
>
> Yes it is a Southern thing. I have a bottle of Crystal vinegar and
> hot peppers in my frige. I love it on collard greens, mixed greens,
> turnip greens, you name it. The cool think about hot pepper vinegar
> is that the bottle is filled with the little hot peppers and all you
> have to do is replentish the vinegar when it runs low, the peppers
> will heat it up over and over and over again. I have had this same
> bottle of hot peppers in vinegar for probably 4 years and it still
> does it's thang.

Another reason that Tabasco has way too much vinegar in it.

-sw

On Dec 2, 8:35 am, "Dora" > wrote:
> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> and adds to the flavour.
>
I think it's just cooking. Fresh spinach briefly wilted in bacon
grease, finished with a light sprinkle of red wine vinegar--why would
you let the South take credit for something as good as that? Now if
you'd asked about cooking greens for hours until past dead, I'd be
willing to give the South credit for that.

As to butter, that works too. When we cook beet greens we prefer
butter to finish. -aem

ImStillMags wrote:
> On Dec 2, 9:33 am, ImStillMags > wrote:
>> On Dec 2, 8:35 am, "Dora" > wrote:
>>
>>> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
>>> spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the
>>> greens
>>> and adds to the flavour.
>>
>>> Dora
>>
>> Yes it is a Southern thing. I have a bottle of Crystal vinegar and
>> hot peppers in my frige. I love it on collard greens, mixed greens,
>> turnip greens, you name it. The cool think about hot pepper vinegar
>> is that the bottle is filled with the little hot peppers and all
>> you
>> have to do is replentish the vinegar when it runs low, the peppers
>> will heat it up over and over and over again. I have had this same
>> bottle of hot peppers in vinegar for probably 4 years and it still
>> does it's thang.
>>
>> Yum.
>
> Here's how to make your own. It is exactly correct.
>
> http://mostlycajun.com/wordpress/?p=1718

Thanks for posting! My husband would have loved it - unfortunately,
hot peppers and I don't agree. My loss.

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 11:35:23 -0500, "Dora" > wrote:

>
>Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
>spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
>and adds to the flavour.
>
>Dora

I think it might also be a German thing, we had vinegar on spinach
regularly.

koko
--
Food is our common ground, a universal experience
James Beard

www.kokoscornerblog.com
Updated 11/28/10

Natural Watkins Spices
www.apinchofspices.com

On 02/12/2010 11:35 AM, Dora wrote:
>
> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage, spinach,
> etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens and adds to
> the flavour.


I don't think so. My parents used to put vinegar on cabbage and spinach.
I was never a big fan of either.

On Dec 2, 1:17*pm, "l, not -l" > wrote:

> In my family, if you knew what "greens" you had to cook, you called it by
> its name. *However, where we lived we didn't grow all of our greens in
> window boxes or backyard victory gardens; we picked most of them wild. *
> When I was a child, my grandfather would grab a burlap sack, take my hand
> and say "let's go pick some greens". * Greens because he didn't yet know
> what variety he would find; upon return to the house he might say we "picked
> a nice mess of greens" if we collected several varieties or he'd say we
> "picked a mess of collards" if that were the case.

Exactly, in my family and in my "neck of woods" a mess of greens
meant many different things. It could be a mixture of
greens out of the garden or yard or all put together. To this day
I like mixed greens as well as a singular "mess". If I don't have
some in a long while I actually crave them.

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 09:37:58 -0800 (PST), ImStillMags
> wrote:

>On Dec 2, 9:33*am, ImStillMags > wrote:
>> On Dec 2, 8:35*am, "Dora" > wrote:
>>
>> > Is it a Southern thing? *My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
>> > spinach, etc. *I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
>> > and adds to the flavour.
>>
>> > Dora
>>
>> Yes it is a Southern thing. * I have a bottle of Crystal vinegar and
>> hot peppers in my frige. *I love it on collard greens, mixed greens,
>> turnip greens, you name it. * The cool think about hot pepper vinegar
>> is that the bottle is filled with the little hot peppers and all you
>> have to do is replentish the vinegar when it runs low, the peppers
>> will heat it up over and over and over again. *I have had this same
>> bottle of hot peppers in vinegar for probably 4 years and it still
>> does it's thang.
>>
>> Yum.
>
>Here's how to make your own. It is exactly correct.
>
>http://mostlycajun.com/wordpress/?p=1718

I started a giardiniera experiment in June that needed 2 months for
the peppers to sit in the vinegar. Then I went and got a job so the
project never got finished but I've been nibbling away at the peppers.
I used serranos and they're great. I never though about using the
vinegar. Thanks for posting this!

Lou

On Dec 2, 2:11*pm, Lou Decruss > wrote:
> On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 09:37:58 -0800 (PST), ImStillMags
>
>
>
>
>
> > wrote:
> >On Dec 2, 9:33 am, ImStillMags > wrote:
> >> On Dec 2, 8:35 am, "Dora" > wrote:
>
> >> > Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> >> > spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> >> > and adds to the flavour.
>
> >> > Dora
>
> >> Yes it is a Southern thing. I have a bottle of Crystal vinegar and
> >> hot peppers in my frige. I love it on collard greens, mixed greens,
> >> turnip greens, you name it. The cool think about hot pepper vinegar
> >> is that the bottle is filled with the little hot peppers and all you
> >> have to do is replentish the vinegar when it runs low, the peppers
> >> will heat it up over and over and over again. I have had this same
> >> bottle of hot peppers in vinegar for probably 4 years and it still
> >> does it's thang.
>
> >> Yum.
>
> >Here's how to make your own. *It is exactly correct.
>
> >http://mostlycajun.com/wordpress/?p=1718
>
> I started a giardiniera experiment in June that needed 2 months for
> the peppers to sit in the vinegar. *Then I went and got a job so the
> project never got finished but I've been nibbling away at the peppers.
> I used serranos and they're great. *I never though about using the
> vinegar. *Thanks for posting this!
>
> Lou- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Now you need to make a bottle just for your pepper vinegar and keep
some on hand at all times!!!

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 11:35:23 -0500, "Dora" > wrote:

>
>Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
>spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
>and adds to the flavour.
>
>Dora

One on the nicest things about pepper vinegars is their versatility.
(Advocates of flavored vinegars know this!)

Potato soups, like vichyssoise, are inproved by a few drops of pepper
vinegar on top at table. Ditto cream of green bean soup, cream of
celery soup, etc.

One tsp of pepper vinegar in your bread dough adds a somewhat
sourdough flavor. Very nice. The peppery flavor is a bonus.

Use it for vinaigrettes.

Use it as a sprinkle on sandwiches. FE: Liverwurst on rye, thin slices
of onion, drizzle w/a bit of EVOO, sprinkle the bread with pepper
vinegar.

I'm sure you all can think of other uses.

Enjoy

Alex, off to make steak au poivre tonight, with a port wine/balsamic
vinegar reduction as the sauce. roasted brussels sprouts, baked
potato, a red wine to be named at a later date. <G>

Waiting for my baguette pan and italian loaf pan from KAF. The dough
is ready! Pane toscano.

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 11:35:23 -0500, "Dora" > wrote:

>
> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> and adds to the flavour.
>
I don't think it's Southern. My grandmother was a Swede and she used
sweet & sour vinegar on spinach.


--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 21:17:58 GMT, "l, not -l" > wrote:

> upon return to the house he might say we "picked
> a nice mess of greens" if we collected several varieties or he'd say we
> "picked a mess of collards" if that were the case.

Collards grow wild? Personally, I'm partial to beet greens.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

"l, not -l" > wrote in message
...
>
> On 2-Dec-2010, "Dora" > wrote:
>
>> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
>> spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
>> and adds to the flavour.
>>
>> Dora
>
> I'm from western Kentucky (south) and lived in eastern Missouri (not quite
> south, but close) and have always used vinegar on all manner of green.
> From
> collards to turnip greens, brussel sprouts to spinach and cabbage in
> between.
>
> Most recipes that I have used/seen call for some sort of acid for dark
> greens; something about preserving the color. Any cook in the south, or
> near south, would have had vinegar around at all times; few other sources
> of
> acid would always be on-hand.
> --
> Change Cujo to Juno in email address.


I don't know about the colour but I love turnip greens with a dash of white
vinegar. If someone has a problem with vinegar they could use the juice of
a couple of lemons. The acidity somehow brings out the flavour of the
greens.

Jill

Ophelia wrote:
>
> "Nancy2" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Dec 2, 10:35 am, "Dora" > wrote:
> >> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> >> spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> >> and adds to the flavour.
> >>
> >> Dora
> >
> >
> > I'm purely Midwest (English/German ancestry), and we always had
> > vinegar on spinach. On cabbage? Yes, as in coleslaw, but not
> > otherwise.
> >
> > My dad (the English side of the family) liked wedges of iceberg
> > lettuce sprinkled with vinegar and a small bit of sugar - very tasty.
>
> I grew up eating lettuce in vinegar I haven't made it since though I must
> admit and I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it
>
> Ahh memories.


I like vinegar, with or without chiles in it, on the bitter
greens...kales and the like. It's OK on spinach but better on the other
greens.

Chemiker wrote:
>
> On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 11:35:23 -0500, "Dora" > wrote:
>
> >
> >Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> >spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> >and adds to the flavour.
> >
> >Dora
>
> One on the nicest things about pepper vinegars is their versatility.
> (Advocates of flavored vinegars know this!)
>
> Potato soups, like vichyssoise, are inproved by a few drops of pepper
> vinegar on top at table. Ditto cream of green bean soup, cream of
> celery soup, etc.
>
> One tsp of pepper vinegar in your bread dough adds a somewhat
> sourdough flavor. Very nice. The peppery flavor is a bonus.
>
> Use it for vinaigrettes.
>
> Use it as a sprinkle on sandwiches. FE: Liverwurst on rye, thin slices
> of onion, drizzle w/a bit of EVOO, sprinkle the bread with pepper
> vinegar.
>
> I'm sure you all can think of other uses.
>
> Enjoy
>
> Alex, off to make steak au poivre tonight, with a port wine/balsamic
> vinegar reduction as the sauce. roasted brussels sprouts, baked
> potato, a red wine to be named at a later date. <G>
>
> Waiting for my baguette pan and italian loaf pan from KAF. The dough
> is ready! Pane toscano.

It's good in lentil soup of any sort.
On garlic mashed potatoes.
In salads.
On scrambled eggs.

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 18:26:04 -0500, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

> The acidity somehow brings out the flavour of the greens.

I was thinking it covered up the bitterness.


--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Dec 2, 11:35*am, "Dora" > wrote:
> Is it a Southern thing? *My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
> spinach, etc. *I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
> and adds to the flavour.
>
White vinegar on peas and fiddleheads. Yum! (with butter too)

On Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:26:57 -0800, sf > wrote:

>On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 18:26:04 -0500, "jmcquown" >
>wrote:
>
>> The acidity somehow brings out the flavour of the greens.
>
>I was thinking it covered up the bitterness.

I don't like acidity with cooked greens, vinegars/citrus is nice with
raw greens but not with cooked. I don't like tomatoes with cooked
greens either. Cooked greens go well with butter, olive oil, and
especially bacon, and other smoked pork cuts.

sf wrote:

>> upon return to the house he might say we "picked a nice mess of greens"
>> if we collected several varieties or he'd say we "picked a mess of
>> collards" if that were the case.
>
> Collards grow wild? Personally, I'm partial to beet greens.

Ever had nettles? Nettle broth is a fantastic harbinger of spring. (And as
far as I know, nobody cultivates them.)

Bob

"Dora" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage, spinach,
> etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens and adds to
> the flavour.

Born and reared in Maine, and we always had vinegar with greens. Recently
it was published that many nutrients in greens are not released without the
presence of vitamin C which is in vinegar. It's in lemons, too, but lemons
don't grow in New England.

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 20:17:08 -0800, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

> sf wrote:
>
> >> upon return to the house he might say we "picked a nice mess of greens"
> >> if we collected several varieties or he'd say we "picked a mess of
> >> collards" if that were the case.
> >
> > Collards grow wild? Personally, I'm partial to beet greens.
>
> Ever had nettles?
>
No, I haven't.

> Nettle broth is a fantastic harbinger of spring. (And as
> far as I know, nobody cultivates them.)



--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

Giusi wrote:
> "Dora" > ha scritto nel messaggio
>> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage, spinach,
>> etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens and adds to
>> the flavour.
>
> Born and reared in Maine, and we always had vinegar with greens. Recently
> it was published that many nutrients in greens are not released without the
> presence of vitamin C which is in vinegar. It's in lemons, too, but lemons
> don't grow in New England.
>
>

I was born and raised in Massachusetts. My parents ate kale, collards,
turnip greens. I wasn't crazy aobut any of them (they tasted very
bitter to me) but vinegar made them a little more palatable.

We frequently had cruets of olive oil and vinegar on the table.
As a teen, I learned to love malt or apple cider vinegar on french fries
much more than ketchup.

gloria p

On Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:11:36 -0800, sf > wrote:

>On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 11:35:23 -0500, "Dora" > wrote:
>
>>
>> Is it a Southern thing? My husband always wanted it on cabbage,
>> spinach, etc. I've always preferred butter, which mellows the greens
>> and adds to the flavour.
>>
>I don't think it's Southern. My grandmother was a Swede and she used
>sweet & sour vinegar on spinach.

You bring up a good question. In eastern/central europe, dishes often
have a sour finish, like borscht. Many dishes get this from sour salt,
sour cream, creme fraiche, rye flour sour, vinegar, or citrus juices.

I don't know much about Scandinavian cooking, so I can't comment
intelligently about them.

But, a little sour (Tabasco, vinegar, other similar) added to the bean
pot makes better beans. Try Bushes baked beans, blessed with diced
green pepper, minced onion and some good mustard and a Tbs of vinegar.
Gilding the rose.

I wonder how much of the "southern" tradition of vinegar on greens and
beans (sounds like it relates to the reconstruction years) was a
matter of the formerly-well-to-do citizens learning from the Creoles.

Funny also, that the people who vinegar their cabbage don't mention
frying it w/o vinegar. It's a wonderful thing to do with cabbage, and
its cheap. Serve with broad egg noodles and some crumbled bacon. Done.

IMHO, good vinegar is underappreciated in general, though foodies
usually know better. Vinegar on roasted potatoes, malt vinegar on UK
Chips, vinegar on breaded shrimp, breaded pork cutlets, and so on.

A good thread, and maybe intriguing to those who would consider
experimenting in this area. It's worth the trip, guys.

Alex

On Fri, 3 Dec 2010 08:44:56 +0100 in rec.food.cooking, "Giusi"
> wrote,
>Born and reared in Maine, and we always had vinegar with greens. Recently
>it was published that many nutrients in greens are not released without the
>presence of vitamin C which is in vinegar. It's in lemons, too, but lemons
>don't grow in New England.

There is no vitamin C in white vinegar. There may be some small
amount in some specialty vinegar, but I would be surprised.

Perhaps the acid of the vinegar itself has the effect you describe.
Which nutrients?

"David Harmon" > ha scritto nel messaggio
m...
> On Fri, 3 Dec 2010 08:44:56 +0100 in rec.food.cooking, "Giusi"
> > wrote,
>>Born and reared in Maine, and we always had vinegar with greens. Recently
>>it was published that many nutrients in greens are not released without
>>the
>>presence of vitamin C which is in vinegar. It's in lemons, too, but
>>lemons
>>don't grow in New England.
>
> There is no vitamin C in white vinegar. There may be some small
> amount in some specialty vinegar, but I would be surprised.
>
> Perhaps the acid of the vinegar itself has the effect you describe.
> Which nutrients?

In Maine which is apple land we had cider vinegar. According to the
research it is the iron primarily that is released by the acid/C.