Balsamic vinegar is one of those lovely condiments that can be used directly on salads without improvement and still taste fantastic. Try a slice of tomato with a sliver of fresh mozzarella cheese and a fresh basil leaf drizzled with plain balsamic vinegar and you'll taste the power of this base ingredient.
These balsamic vinaigrette dressings are fine recipes, but keep in mind that the strength of these dressings all come from the quality of the balsamic vinegar you use. Good balsamic vinegar has been aged for at least a dozen years. As the vinegar ages, it takes on the flavor of the oak barrel in which it was stored. It also becomes sweeter and slightly thickened due to the evaporation of a small amount of the product as the aging process progresses.
While you don't need to buy a bottle of $50 vinegar, there are many bottles that range between $10 to $30 that are worth every penny. Italian balsamic vinegar is usually a good bet. Invest in a bottle of the good stuff. You'll be glad you did.
Balsamic vinaigrettes are best when used to counter the bitterness in a salad or meal. For example, a salad of field greens with walnuts and blue cheese dressing is the perfect candidate for a balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing. Most of these dressings can also be used as marinades for everything from vegetables on the grill to salmon to even steak.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients You Will Need:
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 clove garlic minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix before tossing with salad greens as ingredients will separate between mixings. This dressing should keep for three days in the refrigerator. As with all salad dressings made with oil and garlic, the garlic is prone to botulism and can go rancid quickly, so don't take a risk with keeping it more than the three days recommended.
 | Making homemade salad dressing is simple. Start by perfecting your whisking techniques with basic oil and vinegar based recipes before moving on to more complicated recipes. Within minutes, you'll have a low-sodium, preservative-free alternative to bottled dressings. |
 | When you decide to make homemade vinegar, you first need to either purchase or make mother, a stringy, gelatin-like substance that is nothing more than bacteria and yeast cells. Mother can be created with any liquid that has sugar or starch in it. |
 | Looking for quintessential summer salads? One of the most popular healthy salads served in the summer is the Waldorf salad, made from apples, celery, walnuts and a creamy dressing. This fresh salad is quick, easy and inexpensive to make. |
Herbal vinegars are a culinary delight. They can be used to cook or drizzled straight out of the bottle as a healthy alternative to salad dressing, and they make wonderful homespun gifts. |
Vinegar was a great accident. It's been around for as long as there has been fermented beverages, such as wine, beer, champagne and sake. The French named it, as "vin" means "wine" and "aigre" means "sour." |
