Can you boil vinegar?

Vinegar is a very common and even more popular household ingredient. It is arguably as important as salt or sugar. Not only does it have a ton of functions in the kitchen, but it can also work as a cleaning agent.

However, there are many speculations as to whether or not it is safe to boil vinegar.

Can you boil vinegar? In short, you can boil vinegar, but there are only certain times when you should. Boiling vinegar releases gases that can be toxic if done incorrectly. Therefore, you should only boil the vinegar in a well-ventilated area and do not inhale the fumes.

Today we will see exactly when you should boil the vinegar and when not.

We’ll also look at some of the functions of vinegar in the kitchen and for general household use, to help you better understand when and why it’s or isn’t necessary.

functions of vinegar

Before we delve into whether or not you can boil vinegar, let’s first look at some ways to use vinegar. This will also help you understand if you can (or even should) consider boiling any type of vinegar.

By understanding how it works, you’ll also be able to better understand why it’s crucial to have it in certain states.

Functions of vinegar in the kitchen

In cooking, vinegar has a few functions.

First, and arguably the most obvious function, it helps add flavor to food. The acidity alone helps add a tartness to the dish that very few ingredients can.

This acidity also helps balance the flavors. For example, when you’ve added too much sugar to a salad dressing, the acidity of any type of vinegar will reduce it and create a more palatable and balanced flavor profile.

Plus, it naturally enhances the flavors of other ingredients. But, if you add too much to an ingredient or dish, it could overwhelm it.

And unlike with other flavors, reducing or completely eliminating tartness and tartness is very difficult.

Vinegar is also a preservative ingredient. The high acidity of this liquid allows to preserve meats, fruits and vegetables.

But, the sour taste is imparted into the ingredient that is preserved and creates a whole new product. You can also use vinegar as a base to infuse flavors into these pickled products.

This acidic liquid is also a softening ingredient. When food sits in vinegar, the acidity breaks the protein bonds.

Once these links are broken, they reform with other proteins and trap moisture inside. This makes the meat juicier and more tender.

And finally, vinegar helps create certain chemical reactions in cooking. For example, when combined with an alkaline (in the right proportions of course), it can help create a leavening effect and make the item rise and become soft and airy.

Household functions of vinegar

You probably already know that vinegar has some household uses as well.

For one thing, it’s an excellent cleaning ingredient . You can use it to polish glasses, countertops, faucets, doorknobs and even floors.

And, at the same time that it cleans, it also disinfects! Acetic acid creates an extremely uninhabitable environment for harmful bacteria to grow.

You can also use vinegar to help remove grease from dishes. This can help you when doing the dishes or even when you want to clean the dishwasher.

And the last function we want to mention is that vinegar can act as a deodorant.

If something’s gone bad in the fridge, you’re washing a rubbish bin, or you just want to remove strong odors from a room, just place a bowl of vinegar nearby.

Absorbs odor particles and completely neutralizes them.

Can you boil vinegar?

Technically, you can boil the vinegar, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Vinegar is an amazing ingredient that is used both in the kitchen and in many things around the home, but it can also be dangerous.

But before I give you all the reasons why you should or shouldn’t, let’s first explain what happens when you heat and boil vinegar. This will also help you understand later how you can safely boil the vinegar.

Vinegar is made up of 95% water and 5% acetic acid . As you know, when a liquid is heated, the water molecules begin to evaporate.

Since vinegar is mostly water, it starts to boil at about 215°F, very close to that of water.

A little fun fact that might help you: the boiling point of vinegar is increased if it contains any impurities or if the acetic acid content is higher than 6%.

Once the vinegar begins to boil, the water begins to evaporate. But, over time, the acetic acid will start to boil as well. Acetic acid is what gives vinegar its unique acidity. So, by boiling the acetic acid, you are removing the acidity.

Why You Shouldn’t Boil Vinegar

The main reason you should never boil vinegar is because of the risks involved. It’s actually quite a dangerous thing, especially if you don’t realize the dangers or how to avoid them.

Although the steam released by boiling vinegar is often used in Eastern medicine as a way to open up the sinuses and help get rid of the flu, when done incorrectly it can be deadly. Yes, you read it right! Fatal!

When vinegar boils, the vapors it gives off contain very high amounts of acetic acid, which is incredibly harmful in high concentrations.

We have heard many of our cook friends remember cleaning an oven with vinegar, or breathing on a large pot of boiling pickling liquid.

Simply put, it takes your breath away, your eyes immediately start burning, and some have even fainted!

Now imagine it wasn’t even in a well ventilated area! This is where boiling vinegar can be fatal. You should always make sure that you work in a very well ventilated area when heating vinegar.

The other reason you shouldn’t boil vinegar is that you’re taking away its unique acidity. Many people believe that boiling the vinegar can help to concentrate the flavor and acidity or dilute it.

Neither of these things will happen. Vinegar stays pretty much the same. If you’ve ever made a heated pickle, you know that the acidity stays exactly the same. All you do is take away the flavor.

The same thing happens when you deglaze a hot pan with vinegar. It instantly loses its acidity and basically becomes a tasteless acid.

The last reason that we feel is important to mention today is that people tend to think that when it is heated it will work better as a cleaning product.

Now, we fully understand the logic of this reasoning. Think about the water; What cleans better, hot water or cold water? Obviously hot water.

But vinegar is not water . It’s an already acidic ingredient that can cut through dirt and greasy stains almost immediately.

When can you boil vinegar?

Ok, while the reasons listed above are pretty strong reasons not to boil vinegar, there are exceptions to these rules.

As you may or may not know, there are quite a few ways to heat vinegar in the kitchen. However, all these techniques used have very specific functions.

Vinegar can be heated (and even brought to a boil) when making pickling liquids. The same is true when making vinegar-based marinades, dressings, or basting sauces.

The reason you boil the ingredients together is to help create an even flavor profile and ensure that all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

This also allows you to ensure that all impurities have been destroyed, creating an inhospitable environment for bacterial growth, especially when it comes to holding liquids.

So when you use this technique for these reasons, make sure you always work in a well-ventilated area.

And, in order not to be too extreme, wearing a mask and glasses does not hurt. Trust us; A smokey nose is one of the worst injuries you can sustain in the kitchen.

Also, it is safe to bring a liquid to a boil when vinegar is not the main ingredient. For example, when you make poached eggs, you add a little vinegar to the water to help the egg set.

This amount of vinegar is so diluted that it does not release any vapor or lose its acidity.

The same goes for dressings, sauces, marinades, and basting sauces that are primarily made up of other ingredients.

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over all things boiled vinegar, let’s look at some related questions…

Can boiling vinegar or boiled vinegar make you sick?

The only way boiled vinegar can harm you is with the gases it gives off, which contain highly concentrated amounts of acetic acid. 

Consuming or using boiled vinegar will not harm you in any way once it has cooled and no longer releases fumes.

Can you mix vinegar with boiling water?

You can definitely add vinegar to boiling water, as long as the water is still the majority of the liquid base. When the vinegar becomes the majority liquid, it will begin to release vapors that can be harmful.

Can vinegar be boiled on fire to remove odors?

By boiling the vinegar on the fire, you are allowing it to continually absorb unwanted odors. Just remember to work in a well-ventilated area and use an equal amount of water mixed with vinegar.

Can vinegar cause a metal pot to rust when used?

When boiling vinegar in a metal pot, make sure not to get too hot.  Some metals, such as aluminum, are not protected against the effects of vinegar.

It could start to burn when the acid is too hot. However, most of today’s pots and pans are non-reactive and should be safe to use.