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5% Vinegar

Several days, maybe a week ago, I read about vinegar being sold now that’s 4% instead of 5%, which makes the vinegar less acidic than the approved 5% for adding to canned items. The label should say “diluted with water to 5% acidity”. I figured it was a Facebook hoax and didn’t pay much attention to it til I began hearing about it from trusted sources. I mentioned to Vince that if I had vinegar on my shopping list when he was buying groceries, to make sure it was 5%.

I still didn’t think a lot about it . . figuring the places I shopped would have 5% vinegar because there’s a lot of canning in this area. Yesterday we had gone by a store where I buy a lot of canning supplies, picked up a gallon of vinegar and the first thing I noticed was that it was 4%. They had no 5% vinegar. I hope if others are buying it for canning, they’re noticing that.

We ended up stopping by Aldi and the vinegar they had was 5%.

What the manufacturers are doing is diluting it with more water to make less acidic. Be careful what you’re buying!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I have seen Heinz brand “cleaning vinegar”. It’s 6%, and labeled for food and cleaning uses. Of course it costs more than regular. I make my own cider vinegar, but I’m not sure how to measure the acidity. Off to google it.

    • I’ve always read to only use commercial vinegar for canning so I’ve never used my homemade cider vinegar.

  3. I just got some Heinz white vinegar that is 6 percent according to the label. It says extra strength for cleaning and good for pickle brines and cooking. I was wondering about canning.

    • I don’t know. I rarely buy name brands so I’ve been using 5% for everything. I do know that if the pickles aren’t used within a couple of years (which they should be), the vinegar will eat through the metal lids with 5% vinegar so I’d be watchful of those lids if using 6%.

  4. Thanks for the alert. Manufacturers change things and unless we are diligent, we may not notice. So many items are reduced in size/weight and can make a difference in what we prepare.

    Have a blessed day, Judy.

  5. I bought white vinegar at Walmart about a month ago, and its 5%. But it’s worth paying attention. It’s so irritating that everything, food, clothing, appliances, whatever, always gets to be lower quality or skimpier. And its price still goes up. I’d rather pay a bit more for the same quality.

    • Those in the know say do not use 4% for canning. All safety tests have been calculated based on 5%. I have no personal knowledge whether it’s safe to use or not but until I hear from one of the canning gurus that it is safe to use, I’m not using it.

  8. 4%, 5% and other %’s have been available since I can remember (I’m 74). If all I find is 4% or 6% I just do a some simple math to get as close to 5% as I can.

    • What exactly do you do? Adding more vinegar isn’t going to change the acidity, right?

  9. My sister-in -law is a chemist. I think I’ll ask her if the 4% vinegar can be changed to a different percentage. Maybe by boiling the water out of it? Does the vinegar evaporated at the same rate as the water? Maybe she can shed some light on this.

    • That’s what I was wondering but Vince said unless it’s tested to make sure it’s 5%, for canning he wouldn’t consider it safe. It’s still fairly easy to find 5% but we have to be on the lookout for it. If your SIL sheds any light, would you please share it here.

  10. I live in the Pittsburg, Kansas area and had just bought Great Value brand at the Pittsburg Walmart. My husband had read the same thing so I checked. The Great Value brand was 5%

    • Aldi in Joplin still had 5% too so hopefully your Aldi does too.

  11. My Sam’s had 5% this week in Mn. I use it in my laundry and kill a few unwanted plants.

    • Plenty of places here still have it but I’ve seen quite a bit of 4%. We just need to be aware of what we’re buying if we’re using it for canning.

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