The Production of Vinegar from Honey

The Production of Vinegar from Honey is by the Rev. Gerard W. Bancks, M.A., in its fourth edition. The book says that vinegar, or dilute acetic acid, is produced by a process of fermentation from certain vegetable substances. The conditions it names require that the liquid contain alcohol, nitrogenous matter and alkaline salts in certain proportions, and be in contact with the air at a suitable temperature for a sufficient length of time.

The writer ventures to say that, for table use, for sauces and salads where delicacy of flavour is appreciated, and for medicinal purposes where pureness and wholesomeness are essential, no vinegar can be compared with that produced from honey. The text says a suitable proportion will be 1 part honey to from 7 to 8 parts of water by weight. For small quantities, almost any open vessel will serve as a receptacle, always excepting glazed or metal ones, in which vinegar must never be allowed to stand.