What's Up With Balsamic Vinegar?

[mizski]

I was looking around in my cupboard today and found a bottle of very good quality, expensive balsamic vinegar. It's less than a year old yet there is no nutritional info label on it. So I looked for some info on balsamic vinegar.

3g carbs for 1 TBS is a lot...1g carb for 1 tsp is easier to fit in. I'm not thinking about having it now but is it ever allowed? Seeing as my bottle is just made from grapes (no sugar or caramel coloring), is it considered to be in the wine rung? Or is it in the fruit rung because the grapes aren't fermented? I wasn't able to find anything in the book other than it isn't allowed. But is that forever?

[mission to lose]

yeah, I got "sucked in" to that vinegar thing. The first day after I started Atkins 3 weeks ago, I was having trouble finding a salad dressing at the store that was allowed and something I would like, and had no luck that day. So I said to myself, I can just use olive oil and vinegar. Now I never had balsamic vinegar before, but always heard a lot about it being used, so I figured I'll use balsamic vinegar and olive oil and bought it So when I got home I opened this very expensive bottle and poured a bit onto a spoon to taste it and WOWOWOW! Was it sweet! I looked at the label on the back...1 TAB= 3 carbs, 2 gr of sugar!!! If only I had read the label at the store. But I didn't think vinegar would have sugar and carbs!!! A very expensive mistake!
~Mary

[not2late]

Originally Posted by mizski

I was looking around in my cupboard today and found a bottle of very good quality, expensive balsamic vinegar. It's less than a year old yet there is no nutritional info label on it. So I looked for some info on balsamic vinegar.

3g carbs for 1 TBS is a lot...1g carb for 1 tsp is easier to fit in. I'm not thinking about having it now but is it ever allowed? Seeing as my bottle is just made from grapes (no sugar or caramel coloring), is it considered to be in the wine rung? Or is it in the fruit rung because the grapes aren't fermented? I wasn't able to find anything in the book other than it isn't allowed. But is that forever?

Unless you go to Italy and purchase the authentic Balsamic vinegar for like $50-$100 per ounce, what you buy in the supermarkets are essentially faked balsamic vinegars.

Real balsamic vinegar, traditionally, takes decades to make. That mellows the acidity and "sweetens" the vinegar. To cut the process time, manufacturers add fruit juices to young balsamic vinegar (about 6 months of aging is the legal minimum of time to call it balsamic, I think) to give it a more authentic flavor.

So the stuff you buy off the shelf at the supermarket, is stuffed with added sugars. the better quality ones use fruit juices the lower quality ones use high fructose corn syrup.

[Elizellen]

If it has no added sugar or any of its aliases I would guess it would be 'legal' on the higher fruits rung as it is made from the juice of grapes.

[mizski]

Originally Posted by not2late

Unless you go to Italy and purchase the authentic Balsamic vinegar for like $50-$100 per ounce, what you buy in the supermarkets are essentially faked balsamic vinegars.

Real balsamic vinegar, traditionally, takes decades to make. That mellows the acidity and "sweetens" the vinegar. To cut the process time, manufacturers add fruit juices to young balsamic vinegar (about 6 months of aging is the legal minimum of time to call it balsamic, I think) to give it a more authentic flavor.

So the stuff you buy off the shelf at the supermarket, is stuffed with added sugars. the better quality ones use fruit juices the lower quality ones use high fructose corn syrup.

Ya, I know about the junky grocery store balsamics. I have the genuine kind, a 20 year old Aceto Balsamico di Modena Balsamico Argento from Italy (if you scroll down, my bottle is the one in the middle).

It's nice stuff with very clear flavors and I used to enjoy it drizzled over strawberries as well as veggies and in cooking. So do you think I can use it again once I get to the fruit rung or wait until maintenance?

p.s. I don't know why I am asking this NOW as I am no where near the fruit rung or maintenance!!! I bet there aren't many people on ADBB whose goal once they lose weight is to use some vinegar!

[mission to lose]

Originally Posted by mizski

I have the genuine kind, a 20 year old Aceto Balsamico di Modena Balsamico Argento from Italy


I bet there aren't many people on ADBB whose goal once they lose weight is to use some vinegar!

Only people with good taste!