Apple cider vinegar is a vinegar distilled from apples, sugar, and yeast and has uses ranging from cooking and cleaning to personal hygiene. Recipes that use apple cider vinegar range from salad dressings, steak marinades, soups to even candies. And if you are out of this vinegar then knowing the best apple cider vinegar substitutes will help you in your cooking, as well as keep you healthy if used as a home remedy. [1]
Apple Cider Vinegar Substitutes
Apple cider vinegar often seems like a miracle potion, so if you find yourself without it, there are many great substitutes, including lemon juice or lime juice, white wine, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, cooking sherry, and fruit vinegar, among others. Let us take a detailed look at them below.
Lemon Juice or Lime Juice
Expect the brightness and tart flavor you’re looking for, but with more citrus flavor and less fruitiness. You can replace 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with 1 tablespoon of either citrus juice.
Balsamic Vinegar
Grape-based vinegar, like balsamic, may have some of the same health benefits as wine, such as lowering cholesterol and can be substituted for apple cider vinegar if you’re using it as a natural remedy.
A jar of apple cider vinegar Photo Credit: Shutterstock
White Wine
Any white wine will work as a substitute, having similar levels of acidity, and when used in small amounts, it won’t change the flavor of your dish. [2]
Fruit Vinegar
Through fermentation, many different fruits can be distilled into vinegar. When a recipe calls for apple cider vinegar, you can experiment with coconut vinegar, strawberry vinegar, ginger or turmeric root vinegar, or even malt vinegar. Any of these will significantly change the flavor of your cooking, however, so be aware and be creative!
Cooking Sherry
To deglaze a pan, substitute cooking sherry or port for apple cider vinegar.
Rice vinegar Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Rice Vinegar
For cleaning, substitute white vinegar or rice vinegar to clean and deodorize rooms and fabrics by mixing with water in a spray bottle. The same mixture can be used to kill weeds and pests. [3]
