Pickling is done to preserve food for a longer period. It is achieved by putting the food in a brine solution or preferably in vinegar. Food that can be pickled with vinegar includes vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. The best vinegar for pickling will offer you outstanding results every time.
Standard vinegar for pickling is supposed to have an acetic acidity of at least 5%. This level of acidity aims to kill and disrupt the growth of harmful microorganisms that make food spoil.
With so many kinds of vinegar that tend to be suitable for pickling, choosing the best one for your kitchen use can be quite difficult. We have done extensive research and filtered a lot out. Kindly read the reviews of our five (5) best vinegar for pickling below.
Best Vinegars for Pickling
| Image | Best Vinegars for Pickling | Rating |
|---|---|---|
 | 1. Lucy's Family Owned Natural Distilled White Vinegar | 99% |
 | 2. Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar | 96% |
 | 3. Heinz Gourmet Malt Vinegar | 92% |
 | 4. Pompeian Gourmet Organic Red Wine Vinegar | 89% |
 | 5. Colavita Prosecco White Wine Vinegar | 85% |
Want to learn more?
Here are our Best Vinegar for Pickling reviews.
1. Lucy’s Family Owned Natural Distilled White Vinegar
The preservative-free nature of Lucy’s Natural Distilled White Vinegar gets us endeared to it. This 5% acetic acid distilled vinegar is one of the best ones you can use for pickling. Be expectant of the powerful flavor and rich taste it will add to your pickled fruits and veggies. Using this distilled white vinegar should not be limited to homes alone. It serves as a reliable pickling vinegar for your restaurants, bars, and large food outlets. It comes in a large 128-oz (1 gallon) container that offers you 252 servings.
No calories, carbohydrates, added sugar, trans fat, saturated fat, or sodium are present in Lucy’s Natural Distilled White Vinegar. Do not limit its use to pickling. This exceptional distilled white vinegar can be used for marinades, baking, and chemical-free cleaning. It will successfully remove hard stains seamlessly.
Why do we like it?
- Savory natural taste
- Deals with offensive odors
- Durable bottle design
2. Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
Not to brag, but the Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar will offer you great results when you use it for pickling. All the ingredients used in its manufacturing are raw, natural, unfiltered, and processed from organically grown apples. As a result, you’ll be getting the best quality from every drop of its 128 FL Oz container. It is purely plant-based and perfect to be used as pickling vinegar by vegans. Interestingly, no artificial coloring or chemical additives are present in each gallon. Don’t let the murky appearance scare you, and it is a result of the strands of proteins, friendly bacteria, and enzymes present in each container.
When used for pickling your favorite foods, it instills immune-boosting chemicals into them that are beneficial for your overall health. More so, the absence of sugars in each serving helps in maintaining your normal glucose levels. Luckily, it is certified kosher.
Why do we like it?
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Non-GMO
3. Heinz Gourmet Malt Vinegar
If you prefer a vinegar for pickling made with pure malt juice and diluted with crystal clear water, we recommend the Heinz Gourmet Malt Vinegar for your kitchen use. It stands out in appearance and is bound to give you the best results when it comes to taste and flavor. With exactly 5% acetic acidity levels, this is just the right vinegar to keep your pickled fruits and vegetables in the right condition for longer. It comes in a pack of two 12 FL Oz bottles and offers you an average of 24 servings per bottle at 15ml (1 tablespoon) per serving.
The Heinz Gourmet Malt Vinegar is a healthy choice for your pickling as it doesn’t contain any calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and sodium. We particularly like the re-closable glass bottles that avoid spillage at all cost. Remarkably, it is easy to hold and pour.
Why do we like it?
- Contains no cholesterol
- Certified kosher
- Doesn’t require refrigeration
4. Pompeian Gourmet Organic Red Wine Vinegar
The Pompeian Gourmet Organic Red Wine Vinegar contains the ‘mother.’ These are strands of proteins and enzymes that are extremely beneficial to your health. With a mission to help you eat and live well, this vinegar for pickling is one of the best we can recommend for your kitchen and restaurant use. Being naturally gluten-free and non-allergenic makes it a preferred choice for most households for their pickling needs. More so, it is USDA organic and Non-GMO project verified. It comes in a 16 FL Oz (473ml) bottle and offers about 32 servings per bottle at 15ml per serving.
Interestingly, the Pompeian Gourmet Organic Red Wine Vinegar is unfiltered and organic. When used appropriately, your pickled fruits will taste great and have an appealing flavor. In addition, its versatility allows it to be used as a multipurpose vinegar for salad dressings, sauces, and marinade.
Why do we like it?
- BPA free bottle
- Refreshing and delicious
- Improves digestion
5. Colavita Prosecco White Wine Vinegar
The Colavita Prosecco White Wine Vinegar is specially made from Prosecco White Wine, the Italian variant of champagne. This vinegar offers you tremendous results in taste and flavor when used specifically for pickling. Notwithstanding, you will also achieve credible results when you engage the versatility of this vinegar and use it as a marinade for steak and pork. More so, you will find it great for dressing fruit salads, marinating fish, and white meats, perfect for sauces, and nice for dressing salads with white meat.
The Colavita Prosecco White Wine Vinegar comes in a pack of two 34 FL Oz bottles that offer about 33 servings at 1 tablespoon (15ml) per serving. It doesn’t contain any sodium, carbohydrate, sugar, protein, saturated or trans fat. Note that it is prone to contain naturally occurring sulfites.
Why do we like it?
- Stylish bottle
- Easy to pour
- 6% acidity
Vinegar for Pickling Buyer’s Guide
We’ve heard questions ranging from do kosher pickles go bad? To do dill pickles go bad? And even general ones like do pickles ever go bad? Selecting and purchasing the best vinegar for pickling will save you the stress of worrying about if your pickled food will go bad earlier than you expected or not. It is essential that you read our buyer’s guide below for major factors to consider when buying the best vinegar for pickling.
Acidity
For vinegar to be perfect for pickling, it must have an acidity of 5% and above. This is because the preservative properties of vinegar depend on this pH level. With a 5% acidity, bacteria and other microorganisms that cause food to rot and spoil are killed and prevented from growing and multiplying.
Types
Distilled white vinegar will not change the color of your food because of its clear color. More so, the flavor won’t really affect the taste of your pickled food. Apple Cider vinegar has many nutritional benefits for the consumer and is always preferred for its distinctive taste. Malt vinegar will taint your pickled food, and you’ll definitely get a stronger taste and flavor. Finally, wine vinegar will offer you an interesting flavor that supersedes the other types of vinegar for pickling. The choice is yours.
Bottling
Does vinegar go bad? You won’t have to worry about that if you purchase one that is bottled appropriately. Ensure that you go for vinegar for pickling that comes in a convenient to hold and pour bottle. If you’ll be getting ones that come in plastic bottles, ensure that they are BPA-free. You won’t need to worry about BPA if it comes in a glass bottle, but you will have to be extra careful during usage so that it doesn’t slip from your hand, fall to the hard floor, shatter and spill your precious vinegar.
- Kitchen Accessory Buying Guides
- Kitchen Appliance Buying Guides
- Kitchen Cookbook Buying Guides
- Kitchen Cookware Buying Guides
- Kitchen Pantry Food Buying Guides
- Does Food Go Bad Articles
- Food Comparison Articles
- Foods That Start With Letter Articles
- How Long Can Food Sit Out Articles
- How To Defrost Food Articles
- How To Reheat Food Articles
- How To Soak Food Articles
- Popular Foods Articles
- What Does It Taste Like Articles
