Balsamic vinegar

[Stephanie Perdziak]

Many recipes call for balsamic vinegar. Every one I have found says contains sulfites. Is there one out there that doesn’t have sulfites?

[SugarcubeOD]

So the answer isn't quite as simple - all balsamic vinegar will have naturally occurring sulphites/sulfites.  Some companies also add them so those are the ones you want to look out for.  If sulphite/sulfite is in the ingredient list, it's a no.  If somewhere else on the label it says 'contains sulphites/sulfites' then these would be naturally occurring and good to go.

Easy peasy?  

[ShannonM816]

They're all going to contain sulfites, it's a byproduct of the fermentation process to make the wine that the vinegar is made from. Some (usually cheaper) versions of balsamic vinegar will actually add extra sulfites, in addition to what's in it already. It's the added sulfites you can't have. 

So, when you look at the label on your bottle of vinegar, if the ingredients list actually says sulfites (or potassium metabisulfite, or sulphur dioxide, or I think there's another name or two for them), those have been added. If the label says "contains sulfites" or "contains naturally occurring sulfites" but they aren't actually in the ingredient list, then it's okay to have, that's just the ones that happen naturally as part of making the vinegar.

 

[Stephanie Perdziak]

Thank you so much! That clears it up for me. 

[KnitterJaimi]

One other thing to look out for with balsamic -- I just discovered that the balsamic I have on hand (which I haven't used, thankfully!) has caramel coloring in it  Dang sneaky sugars.

[Stephanie Perdziak]

Oh no. I just looked at the label. My balsamic contains Carmel color. I’ve been having it all week. That’s really disheartening. I’ve been putting in so much work to get this right.