Vinegar - More than just a "Blessed Seasoning"
I have a friend who absolutely hates vinegar. She swears she wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole. The smell makes her want to vomit. Whaaaattttt??? I find it so weird because vinegar is really my sparring partner when it comes to food.
I eat vinegar with everything! Porkchop, chicken, fish (ofcourse), corned beef , even spam! It's the national dip for my chichirya marathons. Chicharon, fish crackers, kropeck, chicken skin, even chippy and balut!
Vinegar just brings out the flavor in every bite. Food tastes 100 times better with this " blessed seasoning". Except for my friend, I think every Filipino loves vinegar. But did you know that vinegar is not just a blessing for our palettes? It's also a great first-aid for many gardening problems. Here are a few extra-ordinary uses for the otherwise ordinary vinegar:
CLEAN OUTDOOR FURNITURE
• Outdoor furniture is a magnet for mildew. Pour white vinegar onto a spray bottle and spritz away on the mildew growth. The stain will wipe right off and the vinegar will keep it from coming back.
• To deodorize and stop mildew growth on plastic mesh furniture and outdoor umbrellas, mix 2 cups of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid in a bucket of hot water. Use an old toothbrush to scrub away the growth and the stench. Rinse with cold water and dry in the sun.
CLEAN OFF BIRD POOP
• If your friendly feathered friends have been leaving souvenirs for you, all you have to do is pour vinegar onto a rag and wipe those bird-y gifts off. These are not "memories" you'd want to keep
SPEED GERMINATION OF SEEDS
• I heard that you can accelerate the growth of many herb and vegetable seeds by soaking them overnight in an apple cider vinegar and water mixture. Rinse seeds off and plant them the next day.
KEEP FLOWERS FRESH
• This is one very useful tip for anyone who loves receiving beautiful bouquets of flowers. Keep the flowers alive longer by mixing 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar with the vase water before adding the flowers. It will enhance your flowers' and hopefully your love affair's longevity too.
CLEAN YOUR LAWNMOWER BLADES
• Lawnmowers tend to accumulate wet grass when you cut the lawn. Let your lawnmowers last longer and work better by wiping down the blades with a cloth dampened by concentrated white vinegar. It will clean left-over grass more easily as well as any other foreign creature such as pests that are stuck to your blades.
There are many more garden and outdoor uses for vinegar. It's comforting to know that one of the simplest garden 911 solutions is right in your pantry. I have a bowl of chicharon and vinegar beside me as I write this. And with every dip and bite, I think of my friend and how much she is missing.
Jean Ramiro, Restaurant owner, Band booker and writer
Jean has incredibly hectic schedule trying to balance managing several bands and her own restaurant and bar. She tries to achieve a balanced life and does this by doing a lot of gardening, and blogging about it too.
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