Preparedness for when

Karmacat

Five litre containers of vinegar, MrsL? That sounds interesting! When I emptied out my wardrobe recently cos of the potential flood from the now-mended roof, I found that the plastic 5 litre containers of water from Sainsbo etc have deformed, and I threw them away after using the water (mostly using it for the cement that went to the roof repairs, actually!) Where do you get those 5 litres of vinegar from, please?

[Deleted User]

I buy the 5 litres of vinegar from either the farm shop or Makro, they store through the year and the vinegar keeps well even when they are opened. I keep them cool upstairs in the store room which is over the garage and arctic in the winter but when opened they come down and live in the larder in the kitchen. Usually well under £5 too so much cheaper than buying it in bottles. I keep one bottle with a 'shaker' and refill it when it needs!

Karmacat

Thank you! Unusually, I'm going *out* with my sister today, rather than going to her house, and when scouting ahead on google, I found a farm shop will have a look there. Its combined with a garden centre, and I'm going to check their plug plants too :j:j:j

NewShadow

Sometimes you'll find the big jugs of vinegar at the local markets - both the cheap ones and the farmers markets - around the time they're selling the pickling onions in septemberish.

It's also a good time to get squash and sacks of potatoes - if you keep them cool and dark (I use a spare kitchen cupboard away from the cooker) and ensure they're stacked to allow airflow both potatoes and squash can be kept for a couple of years.

jk0

Doesn't water taste vinegary after being in (plastic?) vinegar bottles?

mardatha

Costco do a 5 gall container of vinegar too for £3 odd.

[Deleted User]

No it doesn't JKO I soak them first with some bio washing powder and then rinse, and rinse and rinse again. Then before I fill them from the tap to store water they get a couple of days with a bleach solution in them and I've never had a residual vinegary taste. They're gallon containers and not clear plastic but 'frosted' don't know if that makes a difference to being able to clean them enough.

Perplexed_Pineapple

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I buy the 5 litres of vinegar from either the farm shop or Makro, they store through the year and the vinegar keeps well even when they are opened. I keep them cool upstairs in the store room which is over the garage and arctic in the winter but when opened they come down and live in the larder in the kitchen. Usually well under £5 too so much cheaper than buying it in bottles. I keep one bottle with a 'shaker' and refill it when it needs!

That's good prepping and money-saving Mrs LW. I haven't found a local source of 5L bottles but am4z0n do 20L for £13 here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Swan-White-Vinegar-Litre/dp/B00TZT6GQE
How long does vinegar keep? Ages I should think. Might take a while to get through 20L :rotfl:

[Deleted User]

Years love, I use lots in the autumn making pickles and chutneys but usually have at least 2 x new 5 litre packs upstairs in store, it just rolls over from one pickling season to the next and in the winter I just top up my shaker bottle when it needs it, like cheese, bacon soap etc. vinegar is one of the old fashioned commodities that is made to keep as long as it has to. You sometimes get 'a vinegar mother' (a film on top of the liquid in the container) but that doesn't alter either the taste, it's keeping qualities or its useability, in fact if you have leftover wine (you never know!) you can chuck it in on top and it makes more vinegar for you.

greenbee

You can use white vinegar for cleaning too PP...