Vinegar for chutney

Grumpysally

A lot of chutney recipes I've found online list cider or wine vinegar in the ingredients. Would substituting malt vinegar make a great deal of difference to the taste? Alternatively where's a cheaper source of cider and wine vinegar, they seem quite expensive in the shops?
Thanks

[Deleted User]

No difference of taste whatsoever lovey, I use plain boring old Malt Vinegar for all my pickles and chutneys, the only difference will be to the colour of the finished product which will be darker with malt vinegar and will continue to get darker as the preserve matures. I buy 5 litre containers of malt vinegar really cheaply from our local farm shop!

Grumpysally

Thank you. I did wonder, there's so many other strong tasting ingredients that I doubted the vinegar would make much difference, the recipe Ive tried also has dates in so it's really dark anyway. I suppose I could use the distilled malt vinegar for a lighter colour, though I've never seen that in big containers, it's cheap enough though if you get supermarket own brand.
I don't think my mum ever used cider vinegar and I doubt my grandma had ever even heard of wine vinegar!

missbiggles1

I'd never use malt vinegar for any sort of cooking except pickling, the taste is overwhelming.

Personally I don't think either wine or cider vinegar's expensive but, if you do, there are lots of recipes for making your own on the internet.

MallyGirl

around this time of year you can buy big jars of distilled vinegar for not much in supermarkets

Grumpysally

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I'd never use malt vinegar for any sort of cooking except pickling, the taste is overwhelming.

Personally I don't think either wine or cider vinegar's expensive but, if you do, there are lots of recipes for making your own on the internet.

Well it's nearly three times as much as malt and if you are using it in a way you can't tell the difference, I'd rather save my pennies.

I'm definitely going to have a go at making some cider vinegar this year though. I hadn't realised how easy it is. We always get far too many apples from my parents tree.

purpleybat

i use plain white vinegar for all my pickles and chutneys. a lot of them are red or yellow and I want the colours to stay vibrant

nanny_beach

Me too, got old shop own cheap white vinegar, did use the brown stuff (malt) for my onions last year, plus a pinch of all spice, and a couple of whole chillis for a bit of oomph

Grumpysally

And of course the added bonus of using white vinegar is you can use it for old style MS cleaning as well : )