Amazing work! I've been to one of the businesses in Modena. It was started in 1860 and they still have the original battery. It's really impressive. The must is monitored at first until it reaches 30% sugar. They have to make sure it doesn't accidentally turn into wine (aceto balsamico pulls the UNO reverse card on wine 😄). Then it's placed in a "battery", a series of barrels in diminishing sizes. The first barrel is the largest and called the mother barrel. The barrel lies on its side with an opening on the opposite (upper) side. After the must is poured, the hole is covered with a cloth so oxygen can get in for the bacteria that does the conversion. After a year the contents are pumped into the next barrel, which is smaller since the must has partially evaporated. This continues until it reaches the last barrel. Meanwhile new must is put in the mother barrel. In this way the battery has a constant cascade of must in various stages. Unlike wine, the balsamic process involves leaving batteries exposed to all kinds of weather, both hot and cold. The place I visited had a tradition where whenever a baby was born they were given their own battery with their name on it. The baby would receive the proceeds from sales from that battery for their whole life. The bulbous bottle was designed and copyrighted to distinguish artisanal balsamic from industrial IGP stuff. The product must be taste tested by a certified official before it can be sold as DOP. You're not paying for them to sit on a barrel for 25 years. You're paying for the repeated transfers and other work, which is done by hand. I've tasted up to 50 year old balsamic and I can taste the differences between vintages. I happen to have some of the world's least sophisticated taste buds so I'm sure everyone else will be able to appreciate it. Once again, strong work. Liked and subscribed.
Thank you so much (immensely) for sharing your experience. I am so intrigued by this process. How someone can have the wherewithal and patience to create one thing boggles my mind! It’s an amazing culinary world. I’m glad you subscribed and I appreciate your kindness. Stay in touch and all the best!
Oh my, I have had this very question for about twenty years. I love the respect you show for the traditional; and, what a treat to have your friends weigh in. Do you think you'll ever put a cookbook together? I'd pay the big bucks for such a treasure. I can hardly wait to make this one. We use Organic Hidden Springs Grade B maple syrup from Vermont and buy by the gallon for $64.99. Thanks, for another great video.
Thank you Kathleen! I appreciate you always. Love Vermont maple syrup! Lucky enough to be able to get some each year. I’m maybe one day I’ll put together a cookbook. Your copy will be on me. Cheers!
This is awesome! Question: Once we make your version, how do we store it? Can I just keep it in a bottle and store in my cupboard? How long is the shelf life for your version? I'm hoping that it's indefinite like traditional balsamic.
@@justmejus thank you! It will last years. I would say that the flavor does fade a little. It stays flavorful for about a year, year and a half before you notice a taste difference.
I just stumbled across your channel, and when looking at how many subscribers you had I was shocked, with the quality of your content and for how amazing they all are my partner and I swore that you would of had millions. You have new fans from Canada! Keep up the truly amazing work!
I can’t thank you enough for your kindness Richard it is important to have that level of encouragement. It takes quite a bit to make these videos. Thank you! Feel free to make any suggestions about content you would like to see. All the best!
I love your work . Thank you . I hope you will be in the hight UA-cam trend soon ! Ps: Put 20 gr of each ... Cherry , Maple and Red oak Wood chunk in 1 liter of good basalmic vinegar . Pour it in a masson jar and put the jar in a ultrasonic bath for 4 sessions of 30 minutes to infuse the vinegar . The vinegar will be full of tanins ... woodly Ps 2 : Im from Québec . Thre are 3 qualities of maple sirup . Light , medium and dark. Use the light, this is the first preminum grade . Good video, you are professional and the result is very esthetic visually. Again i hope to see you in the trend.
What were the relative brix of each of them? I remember tasting some of the older ones and because the brix had increased they lost their perception of barrel characteristics similar to the effect from over reduced stocks, high proof spirits, dried fruits, over dried cheese or charcuterie. In which case the addition of water will open them back up. I also noted that 'miso burn' occurred in some of the long aged ones in which case the quality was lower from too intense a maillard reaction.
I have an extremely old bottle of the real thing in my house. My late beloved wife bought it for me 20 years ago for Christmas. I think it was aged 25 years.
I remember the first time I tried aged balsamic at my sister's Inn near Perugia many years ago. A few drops of 18-year old on a slice of pear and some aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Thank you for sharing this information. There's a wide range of culinary applications between different ages (dessert to savoury), but at least one (12-year-old) should be in any serious foodies pantry. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Really enjoyed this . Don't have a desiccator I could use for the purpose but I do have a halogen oven which might replicate the effect if the fluid goes inside a pot with a (perforated ? ) foil lid . Got a tiny kitchen in a small stone cottage which I am about to renovate so that halogen ( and the barbie ) will be doing a lot of work this. summer .
Awesome of you to share the knowledge, I want to make some so bad I can taste it thank you for the video going to show my wife I had no idea of all this information. John
Great vid! Thanks! As you said knowledge is out there for pretty much everything. I was just about to run down this same rabbit hole to make something that tastes good, but wouldn't fix my mouth to call balsamic, and I found your vid. I'm going a slightly different fast track route. Reducing a gallon of Lambrusco by about half (or too thick to continue), bringing up the sugar to at least 30%, add some vinegar mother, and fast ferment it with aeration. I'll let you know how it goes.
I’ve gained greater respect for balsamic vinegar. You’ve inspired me to continue to consider using other balsamics in my vinaigrette. See below I enjoy my* 6 ingredient balsamic vinaigrette daily both for health** and flavor. It’s the Kirkland BV that’s the key flavor ingredient that took it to the next level from a cheap house brand balsamic. It pairs well w/added fresh basil and most any Italian cheese and milder cheddars. *mine because I developed it from scratch w/out any input from anyone. **health because I chose every ingredient for heath reasons, their portions for flavor
Thank you! Molasses gave it a very dingy kind of a flavor. Not good. I think honey would dominate. I actually sell at my restaurant an imported balsamic vinegar that’s infused with honey. It’s a nice balance but it’s quite strong. Give the other sugars a try and let me know!all the best
Thank you for your video! Out of curiosity, how far off were the other (cheaper) port wines with the maple syrup reduction/dehydration? Do you have a budget port wine suggestion? Thanks!
Well, they were not bad, just different. An older port will simulate the aging process that occurs naturally in the barrel. Tawny did this the best. Maybe you can get a shot from a bar and pour it in a Togo cup when no one is looking 😂.
The price of aged balsamic vinegar sure made an impression on me when I first visited Italy. The one I use is cheap and flavoured with figs 😁 I tried many and liked its taste the best. I usually serve it on grilled vegetables. I like what you did with the video today. Longer videos can have adds so that's better for you. I never miss any of the videos by channels I'm subscribed to because I have system. I've selected to only have videos displayed and not stories or anything else (there's an option for that) and then I scroll down through the videos and hide the ones I watch or am not interested in watching(there's an option for that too) that way only the videos I haven't watched are available for me at any time I chose to go back to them.
George, thank you SO MUCH for this!! I love a good balsamic, but they are expensive. But the difference between a quality one and a cheap one is about the same as the difference between a good Cabernet and AC vinegar. I will be giving this recipe a try very soon, as my last bottle is running dry. And thanks for for Parmesan tip. I bet it would pair well with Asiago as well. I have drizzled mine on salads, tomatoes, and especially watermelon, but never cheese. As always, a great video with superb info, thanks again!
Thank you so much, Dave! A little sidenote, the expensive, aged balsamic, for some reason tasted really bad on mozzarella! That same balsamic tastes spectacular on Parmesan. It’s crazy. The mozzarella brings out all the barrel flavors and hides all the fruit notes. I was really surprised. Thank you for reaching out! All the best.
I'm going down the rabbit whole of Balsamic vinegar, so fascinating! Loved your video!!! Subscribed! I'm curious have you tried Calivirgin's Balsamic Vinegar? I just ordered a gallon bottle after reading up on it and seeing countless glowing reviews. $125 for a full gallon! Only 10 calories and 2g of sugar per tablespoon, imported from Italy, made of only grape must, a mixture of various batches aged in wooden barrels up to 18 years (I'm assuming they buy excess bulk amounts from various producers). Seems like the best bang for your buck for true single ingredient Italian basalmics. Almost seems too good to be true considering the prices of the others. Worth a try at least! Now I do intend to try making your version! Though what stands out to me the most is that yours is made with the Costco vinegar that already has 9g of sugar per tablespoon (60% sugar), and you added more through the maple syrup along with the wine who's sugar content I'm not aware of, and then reduced all of that another 20% or so through evaporation. So the Calivirgin allegedly authentic variety is only 13.33% sugar, while what you made is closer to 80% sugar if my loose math estimation is correct. No wonder it was rated the best considering the sugar content! Still, I intend to make yours and have it along side the calivirgin bottle as I'm sure both taste incredible and will have their uses. But I'd love to know what your take on Calivirgins offering is, cause it really seems too good to be true. I'll get to try it myself on Monday, but as I've never tried any of the others I won't know if it's truly as good as the reviews say. But I'm sure you'd be able to explore that! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing that with me and thank you for subscribing! I did a quick search for Calivirgin Balsamic on Amazon and could not find the specific one you’re talking about. Can you post a link? I would imagine that the Sandeman Port has quite a bit of sugar in it. Don’t forget to burn off the alcohol and please let me know how yours turns out. All the best!
How did the Calivirgin balsamic go? No where on their website does it say 100% grape must. But what I’ve see on the bottle is, 100% barrel aged balsamic vinegar. There is so much word smithing when it comes to balsamic that this leads me to believe this is not as you believe.
George, I noticed that on the label for the Costco balsamic you use, it says 45 calories per tablespoon, and I thought what the heck--so I looked at the reviews for it, and found that a lot of the postings of more recent years say that the product is different than it used to be because the chimps at Costco started adding 6g of sugar to the vinegar before bottling it. I hope you can bring me the news that they even more recently STOPPED doing that...or failing that, maybe point me towards another source for the same product of Modena vinegar that Costco has been (apparently) falsely CLAIMING to sell. I'm a keto eater, and if I had to pay five times as much, it would probably be a much better bargain for me. In any case, thanks for the wonderful and very interesting video. Cheers!
Thanks for that. I bought that bottle about a year ago. Let me check Costco next week and I will let you know. It is unlikely that they added sugar without it being on the label. Thanks for bringing it to my attention
I don't have a dehydrator but have a air fryer that goes to as low as 175f would this have any negative impact on the balsamic? Aside from the risk of burning it.
Can you produce this in bulk and put it back in the cupboard? Im just wondering it the wine can naturally age into vinegar or does mixing them together stop that?
Traditional Aceto di Modena is bottled in those vial that are given to producers in a controlled number that is different for each of them, based on how much vinegar they have. If you want to buy the real one it has to be in those! No exception! Those are designed by Giorgietto Giugiaro, a famous automotive designer
I understand now! My apologies. There are many great vinegars out there. I would stay away from processed, manufactured vinegar’s like white and red. If you’re going to purchase a wine vinegar, I would make sure that it came from a reputable source that made it from wine that contains no sulfites and is also organic. I do like organic rice wine vinegar as well.
Wow! One of your best comparisons and review. Always had questions on the hype of the true DOP Italian balsamic vinegar. Thanks as always for the education!! :-)
So, how many times did you watch the loop of your friend choosing your balsamic glaze over the others? C'mon, admit it! I'd be impressed that my recipe was so well received. George, we have a bottle of Guiseppi Guisti 3 medal and 5 medal (our fav) "balsamic". Push aside the cheese and serve strawberries with a drizzle of balsamic. OMG. Well, I know what we're having tomorrow...Love ya, mean it!
I apologize Chef, but you said the lost weight of the port reduction was 30%, or the lost weight of the port + the maple syrup was 30%? I mean, you didn't actually reduce the port and maple syrup as a mixtue by 30%, right? Can't wait to try this once I buy a dehydrator!!
I see my question was addressed further down in the comments. So dehydrate the mixture at 140 F until you've reduced to 30% of the original weight. My only remaining question is: how long did you simmer the port to cook off the alcohol? I just ordered a dehydrator and will start on this soon. Thank you so much for sharing your content!
@@AwareHouseChef I honestly don't know how long that takes as I have never cooked off anything with alcohol.. I fear I will keep taking tastes as it is reducing, and my tongue won't be able to detect the absence of alcohol. Clearly I am not a chef. 🙂
You don’t have to silence the gaps in between the dialogue, it makes a somewhat annoying effect. Other than that perfect video! Going to try your recipe:))
Now you started a fire in me that i cant extinguish I LOVE myself some good Balsamic. But im too stingy too spend 100+$ for expensive ones. But now i will try this
You always come up with the most interesting and unexpected content! It's really well researched and produced. I wish I had a dehydrator to try this out.
@@AwareHouseChef Hi George! I just checked. The lowest true temperate is 80C / 176F. I don't know how well that holds. There is also a "keep warm" function that the manual says varies unpredictably from 70-80C / 158-176F. I might just be able to use that, especially if I keep the door open a bit. Thanks for the idea. Didn't think about it.
@@AwareHouseChef My oven has a convection setting that uses a tiny fan mounted in the back. It may be too weak though. I'll try using an additional fan. Thanks for all the advice!
Hmm... It almost seemed like the first chef preferred the lighter tasting balsamic. Perhaps this is due to using high quality ingredients and thinking of the balsamic as an addition to those ingredients? Preferring that that balsamic be an undertone and complimenting flavor to the primary ingredients? I don't know... maybe I'm reading too much into him saying that it had a lighter taste. I will definitely try this in the future.
Many people all over the world have "Balsamic" imprinted onto their brain to mean the stuff we typically buy for $10. So what he's looking for in cooking is probably the more acidic brighter profile we see on salads and so on. Which nobody uses the traditional types for. The second chef was obviously using it as an accent and focused on the umami notes.
I have it in my dehydrator for 130 degrees F. I didn't know what evaporated port meant, so i put it in straight from the bottle. (hope that doesn't ruin it) I am estimating to check it in about 12 hours to check progress.
@@AwareHouseChef I just tried it this morning and it is delicious! I'm already planning on trying to pair it with a ton of foods. Do you have any suggestions around storage? Do I need to store it in the fridge? About how long do you think it lasts? (I think I'm going to eat all of this first batch, but I'm thinking about having some on hand in the future)
The instructions need to be a little clearer please. Picked everything up and I assuming that only the port was reduced and the recipe weight is the reduction weight. And also there was no reduction with the vinegar
My apologies. Here are the proportions as a recipe on my website: awarehousechef.com/assets/files/Balsamic.pdf Reduce the entire balsamic to 30% of its original weight
@@AwareHouseChef OK, I went down the Rabbit hole, with a bottle of La Secchia 25 year next to me for reference. I was trying to produce 750 grams to fill up an empty bottle of 1942. (Started with 1071 total grams at proper proportions) took 60 minutes of constant stirring on low heat and when I felt crystallization I killed the heat and turned it back on a minute later. Where I finally ended up with was about 610 grams, just slightly over a 40% reduction but dam... yummy. I would highly recommend trying it with this reduction. It would seem at 30% it was still a lightly acidic when compared to the La Secchia 25 year.
Time equals money, so therefore the one that has been aged for the most amount of time, like literally a century, is going to cost the most money to purchase. It’s not rocket science here.
Hello Chef, Fantastic Videos. I love the attention to detail. The Presentation and dialogue are excellent. Having said that, I also can't get/find the recipe and I'm dying to try it. I do see what you are referring to... if you're not careful, you get a pic. On other recipes I get the option to download a pdf. In this case it's either the pic, or when clicked correctly, it just goes to the UA-cam video. Any suggestions? Subscribed and sharing!!! Thank you.
There are actually two things going on here. 1. you were attempting to emulate the most expensive product......and you accomplished that. 2. The judgement of "the best" is too broad. Best for what? Best for salads? Best for its vinegar quality? Best for a condiment? etc etc etc There are multiple uses for varying types of things called "balsamic vinegar". I would not use the super high quality in a salad dressing for instance. The different flavor profiles of the different products yield a better result depending upon how they are going to be used. Certainly there is a more expensive product.....the process requiring far more time and effort and thus the higher cost, BUT this does not mean that that product is best or most appropriate for every use. A $5 bottle of balsamic vinegar is probably better for use in most salad dressings than the most expensive balsamic from italy. I think what I am trying to point out is that the more expensive thing does not necessarily mean that it is a better product. Whether the product is "the best" or not completely depends upon the intended use. The most expensive product is the most expensive due to the process to manufacture it (including the certifications etc) but that does not make it "the best" choice for every scenario. In the US, we are a capitalists culture and it is often (incorrectly) assumed that the most expensive is the best, period...end of story. But that is not nearly "the whole story". The proper product for the proper use.
The chef, Alex, who I featured in this show, is well on his way to receiving either James Beard award or a Michelin star. And clearly he chose the least expensive of the lot, based on his experience with balsamic vinegar, and his taste profile in his cooking. So yes, there are many different factors. Clearly, I was trying to replicate the most expensive one, calling it the best. But everything is subjective. I truly appreciate your commentary and that you’ve reached out. Thank you for the kind compliments!
With all due respect, I think you should’ve chosen Italian chefs to judge the balsamic vinegars, or people who work in the industry (I’m neither Italian nor work in the industry). If a chef’s palate is not properly trained it doesn’t matter how many awards he has, he’s not going to be a good judge.
Amazing work!
I've been to one of the businesses in Modena. It was started in 1860 and they still have the original battery. It's really impressive.
The must is monitored at first until it reaches 30% sugar. They have to make sure it doesn't accidentally turn into wine (aceto balsamico pulls the UNO reverse card on wine 😄).
Then it's placed in a "battery", a series of barrels in diminishing sizes. The first barrel is the largest and called the mother barrel. The barrel lies on its side with an opening on the opposite (upper) side. After the must is poured, the hole is covered with a cloth so oxygen can get in for the bacteria that does the conversion.
After a year the contents are pumped into the next barrel, which is smaller since the must has partially evaporated. This continues until it reaches the last barrel. Meanwhile new must is put in the mother barrel. In this way the battery has a constant cascade of must in various stages.
Unlike wine, the balsamic process involves leaving batteries exposed to all kinds of weather, both hot and cold.
The place I visited had a tradition where whenever a baby was born they were given their own battery with their name on it. The baby would receive the proceeds from sales from that battery for their whole life.
The bulbous bottle was designed and copyrighted to distinguish artisanal balsamic from industrial IGP stuff. The product must be taste tested by a certified official before it can be sold as DOP.
You're not paying for them to sit on a barrel for 25 years. You're paying for the repeated transfers and other work, which is done by hand. I've tasted up to 50 year old balsamic and I can taste the differences between vintages. I happen to have some of the world's least sophisticated taste buds so I'm sure everyone else will be able to appreciate it.
Once again, strong work. Liked and subscribed.
Thank you so much (immensely) for sharing your experience. I am so intrigued by this process. How someone can have the wherewithal and patience to create one thing boggles my mind! It’s an amazing culinary world. I’m glad you subscribed and I appreciate your kindness. Stay in touch and all the best!
Acetaia Cavedoni by chance? We visited them last month and it was amazing. Here is a link to my review maps.app.goo.gl/s1knY6AcEYznvbC48
You knocked it out of the park with this video. Thx!
Thank you! My pleasure! I appreciate your kindness. Cheers!
Oh my, I have had this very question for about twenty years. I love the respect you show for the traditional; and, what a treat to have your friends weigh in. Do you think you'll ever put a cookbook together? I'd pay the big bucks for such a treasure. I can hardly wait to make this one. We use Organic Hidden Springs Grade B maple syrup from Vermont and buy by the gallon for $64.99. Thanks, for another great video.
Thank you Kathleen! I appreciate you always. Love Vermont maple syrup! Lucky enough to be able to get some each year. I’m maybe one day I’ll put together a cookbook. Your copy will be on me. Cheers!
I like you was gifted some of the traditional and ever sense then I have been buying it as gifts for my friend's and family as gift very special
Finally got my first bottle of the traditional, waiting for some local strawberries now, really looking forward to cracking it open..
Brilliant idea to get the wood flavors of the barrels with the port. Thanks for this!
You bet!
this is interesting as I am making my own vinegar for the first time! Not sure I will try making a balsamic, but it's fun to watch none the less.
@@knottyneedle thank you!
This is awesome! Question: Once we make your version, how do we store it? Can I just keep it in a bottle and store in my cupboard? How long is the shelf life for your version? I'm hoping that it's indefinite like traditional balsamic.
@@justmejus thank you! It will last years. I would say that the flavor does fade a little. It stays flavorful for about a year, year and a half before you notice a taste difference.
First time viewer, loved this video. Keep up the good work.
I hit that notification bell! and can't wait to make this one day soon.. I love this channel keep the videos coming.
Thanks for the encouragement Tony! Keep in touch. Let me know when you make the balsamic. All the best.
I mix glaze with a splash of the higher quality balsamic and achieve a close match for a fraction of the price..
So interesting. Thanks!
My pleasure!
I just stumbled across your channel, and when looking at how many subscribers you had I was shocked, with the quality of your content and for how amazing they all are my partner and I swore that you would of had millions. You have new fans from Canada! Keep up the truly amazing work!
I can’t thank you enough for your kindness Richard it is important to have that level of encouragement. It takes quite a bit to make these videos. Thank you! Feel free to make any suggestions about content you would like to see. All the best!
I love your work . Thank you .
I hope you will be in the hight UA-cam trend soon !
Ps: Put 20 gr of each ... Cherry , Maple and Red oak Wood chunk in 1 liter of good basalmic vinegar . Pour it in a masson jar and put the jar in a ultrasonic bath for 4 sessions of 30 minutes to infuse the vinegar . The vinegar will be full of tanins ... woodly
Ps 2 : Im from Québec . Thre are 3 qualities of maple sirup . Light , medium and dark. Use the light, this is the first preminum grade .
Good video, you are professional and the result is very esthetic visually. Again i hope to see you in the trend.
@@lucrainville2343 I appreciate that. Thank you!
What were the relative brix of each of them? I remember tasting some of the older ones and because the brix had increased they lost their perception of barrel characteristics similar to the effect from over reduced stocks, high proof spirits, dried fruits, over dried cheese or charcuterie. In which case the addition of water will open them back up. I also noted that 'miso burn' occurred in some of the long aged ones in which case the quality was lower from too intense a maillard reaction.
I have an extremely old bottle of the real thing in my house.
My late beloved wife bought it for me 20 years ago for Christmas.
I think it was aged 25 years.
Oh man that’s great stuff!
Truly an underrated creator, Never a moment do I regret watching any of your videos when I need to learn something with food items
That’s super-kind!! Thank you so much. I really appreciate the encouragement. All the best!
I remember the first time I tried aged balsamic at my sister's Inn near Perugia many years ago. A few drops of 18-year old on a slice of pear and some aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Thank you for sharing this information. There's a wide range of culinary applications between different ages (dessert to savoury), but at least one (12-year-old) should be in any serious foodies pantry. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
My pleasure and thank you for sharing your wonderful experience. I live for moments like that
Interesting test! Thanks!
Thank you!
Really enjoyed this . Don't have a desiccator I could use for the purpose but I do have a halogen oven which might replicate the effect if the fluid goes inside a pot with a (perforated ? ) foil lid . Got a tiny kitchen in a small stone cottage which I am about to renovate so that halogen ( and the barbie ) will be doing a lot of work this. summer .
I would just mind the temperature more carefully. Should work. Thanks for reaching out!
Awesome of you to share the knowledge, I want to make some so bad I can taste it thank you for the video going to show my wife I had no idea of all this information. John
My pleasure! Thank you for reaching out!
Good video, looks like you put a lot into it and it shows
Thank you’ I really appreciate that. All the best!
I love melted vinegars and this info is really cool. Thank you
My pleasure. I hope you’ll let let me know if you try it. All the best!
One day I look forward to trying this. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
My pleasure and thank you for your kindness! All the best!
Great vid! Thanks! As you said knowledge is out there for pretty much everything. I was just about to run down this same rabbit hole to make something that tastes good, but wouldn't fix my mouth to call balsamic, and I found your vid. I'm going a slightly different fast track route. Reducing a gallon of Lambrusco by about half (or too thick to continue), bringing up the sugar to at least 30%, add some vinegar mother, and fast ferment it with aeration. I'll let you know how it goes.
I’m excited to find out how your was turned out! All the boys all the best!
thank you so much for this video you just got a new sub. I really like how you brought in some super-qualified experts to help in the tasting
My pleasure! All the best!
what an awesome video, very well done
My pleasure! Thank you!
I’ve gained greater respect for balsamic vinegar. You’ve inspired me to continue to consider using other balsamics in my vinaigrette. See below
I enjoy my* 6 ingredient balsamic vinaigrette daily both for health** and flavor. It’s the Kirkland BV that’s the key flavor ingredient that took it to the next level from a cheap house brand balsamic. It pairs well w/added fresh basil and most any Italian cheese and milder cheddars.
*mine because I developed it from scratch w/out any input from anyone.
**health because I chose every ingredient for heath reasons, their portions for flavor
Thank you for reaching out and sharing! All the best!
I definitely want to try to make this!!
I definitely want to know how it turns out! Cheers!
The way he's saying Modena is making me crazy.
This!
So interesting. Thank You! Cant wait to get started!!
Let me know how you was turns out! Thank you for reaching out. All the best!
Great experiment! very clever. I wonder what would happen with different sweeteners like palm sugar, honey, molasses, etc....
Thank you! Molasses gave it a very dingy kind of a flavor. Not good. I think honey would dominate. I actually sell at my restaurant an imported balsamic vinegar that’s infused with honey. It’s a nice balance but it’s quite strong. Give the other sugars a try and let me know!all the best
Thank you for making this! It was very helpful!
My pleasure! Thank you for your kindness. All the best!
So interesting and informative. I was going to splurge on the expensive bottle!
@@michelebenedict5517 give it a shot!
I might be late to the show. Thanks for the great information. At what temperature did you dehydrate for 14 hours? Thank you very much :)
Thank you! Never too late to encourage someone. Much appreciated. I believe I did “fruit” on my dehydrator which was around 140F. Cheers.
Interesting! I love balsamic vinegar. Thanks!
My pleasure. Give it a try and let me know!
ok this video was mind blowing. you are very good at this
Thank you! Let me know how yours turns out. Cheers
Thanks for the video, what about 5 years aged leonardi 100% grape must? Is it a good balance between great and price?
Never had it. Thank you for the tip!
Thank you for your video! Out of curiosity, how far off were the other (cheaper) port wines with the maple syrup reduction/dehydration? Do you have a budget port wine suggestion? Thanks!
Well, they were not bad, just different. An older port will simulate the aging process that occurs naturally in the barrel. Tawny did this the best. Maybe you can get a shot from a bar and pour it in a Togo cup when no one is looking 😂.
The price of aged balsamic vinegar sure made an impression on me when I first visited Italy.
The one I use is cheap and flavoured with figs 😁 I tried many and liked its taste the best. I usually serve it on grilled vegetables.
I like what you did with the video today. Longer videos can have adds so that's better for you.
I never miss any of the videos by channels I'm subscribed to because I have system. I've selected to only have videos displayed and not stories or anything else (there's an option for that) and then I scroll down through the videos and hide the ones I watch or am not interested in watching(there's an option for that too) that way only the videos I haven't watched are available for me at any time I chose to go back to them.
Good system! (both with the balsamic and the videos) always good to hear from you, Maria! All the best
@@AwareHouseChef
Thank you George!
All the best for you too my friend!
George, thank you SO MUCH for this!! I love a good balsamic, but they are expensive. But the difference between a quality one and a cheap one is about the same as the difference between a good Cabernet and AC vinegar.
I will be giving this recipe a try very soon, as my last bottle is running dry. And thanks for for Parmesan tip. I bet it would pair well with Asiago as well. I have drizzled mine on salads, tomatoes, and especially watermelon, but never cheese.
As always, a great video with superb info, thanks again!
Thank you so much, Dave! A little sidenote, the expensive, aged balsamic, for some reason tasted really bad on mozzarella! That same balsamic tastes spectacular on Parmesan. It’s crazy. The mozzarella brings out all the barrel flavors and hides all the fruit notes. I was really surprised. Thank you for reaching out! All the best.
I'm going down the rabbit whole of Balsamic vinegar, so fascinating! Loved your video!!! Subscribed!
I'm curious have you tried Calivirgin's Balsamic Vinegar? I just ordered a gallon bottle after reading up on it and seeing countless glowing reviews. $125 for a full gallon! Only 10 calories and 2g of sugar per tablespoon, imported from Italy, made of only grape must, a mixture of various batches aged in wooden barrels up to 18 years (I'm assuming they buy excess bulk amounts from various producers).
Seems like the best bang for your buck for true single ingredient Italian basalmics. Almost seems too good to be true considering the prices of the others. Worth a try at least!
Now I do intend to try making your version! Though what stands out to me the most is that yours is made with the Costco vinegar that already has 9g of sugar per tablespoon (60% sugar), and you added more through the maple syrup along with the wine who's sugar content I'm not aware of, and then reduced all of that another 20% or so through evaporation. So the Calivirgin allegedly authentic variety is only 13.33% sugar, while what you made is closer to 80% sugar if my loose math estimation is correct. No wonder it was rated the best considering the sugar content!
Still, I intend to make yours and have it along side the calivirgin bottle as I'm sure both taste incredible and will have their uses. But I'd love to know what your take on Calivirgins offering is, cause it really seems too good to be true. I'll get to try it myself on Monday, but as I've never tried any of the others I won't know if it's truly as good as the reviews say. But I'm sure you'd be able to explore that! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing that with me and thank you for subscribing! I did a quick search for Calivirgin Balsamic on Amazon and could not find the specific one you’re talking about. Can you post a link? I would imagine that the Sandeman Port has quite a bit of sugar in it. Don’t forget to burn off the alcohol and please let me know how yours turns out. All the best!
Another question, what was the time and temperature of your dehydrator for the winning batch to get it to the desired consistency?
How did the Calivirgin balsamic go? No where on their website does it say 100% grape must. But what I’ve see on the bottle is, 100% barrel aged balsamic vinegar. There is so much word smithing when it comes to balsamic that this leads me to believe this is not as you believe.
George, I noticed that on the label for the Costco balsamic you use, it says 45 calories per tablespoon, and I thought what the heck--so I looked at the reviews for it, and found that a lot of the postings of more recent years say that the product is different than it used to be because the chimps at Costco started adding 6g of sugar to the vinegar before bottling it. I hope you can bring me the news that they even more recently STOPPED doing that...or failing that, maybe point me towards another source for the same product of Modena vinegar that Costco has been (apparently) falsely CLAIMING to sell. I'm a keto eater, and if I had to pay five times as much, it would probably be a much better bargain for me.
In any case, thanks for the wonderful and very interesting video. Cheers!
Thanks for that. I bought that bottle about a year ago. Let me check Costco next week and I will let you know. It is unlikely that they added sugar without it being on the label. Thanks for bringing it to my attention
@@AwareHouseChef Thanks so much. Look forward to imitating your imitation.
My pleasure. Bear in mind also that balsamic vinegar is also a bit high in sugar
I don't have a dehydrator but have a air fryer that goes to as low as 175f would this have any negative impact on the balsamic? Aside from the risk of burning it.
175 is pretty high. It will most likely take less time then at a lower temp . I would try it and see how it tastes
Wow! Very impressive. Congratulations. 💕💕💕
I appreciate that. Thank you. All the best!
Can you produce this in bulk and put it back in the cupboard? Im just wondering it the wine can naturally age into vinegar or does mixing them together stop that?
I’m not sure what you quite mean by bulk. I guess you can do like 8 ounces.
Traditional Aceto di Modena is bottled in those vial that are given to producers in a controlled number that is different for each of them, based on how much vinegar they have. If you want to buy the real one it has to be in those! No exception! Those are designed by Giorgietto Giugiaro, a famous automotive designer
Thank you!
Very good information sir. After apple which will be the most beneficial. ?
Thank you. I am not sure I understand your question.
Sir apple cider vinegar is good but after that which is best. Examples like red wine or balasm.
I understand now! My apologies. There are many great vinegars out there. I would stay away from processed, manufactured vinegar’s like white and red. If you’re going to purchase a wine vinegar, I would make sure that it came from a reputable source that made it from wine that contains no sulfites and is also organic. I do like organic rice wine vinegar as well.
Thanks sir. 👍
Interesting. Love Your videos. Grettings from Denmark 😄
Greetings and welcome! Your country is one of my bucket list destinations. Looking very much forward to visiting. All the best!
Thx
Great job.
Thank you!
I'm gonna try the wholefoods premium super dense balsamic it has the golden top and DOP
Cool! Let me know!
THANK YOU!
@@JERSEYTOMATO my pleasure!
Where can I find that sweater you're wearing?!
Here ya go:
www.hardcoreitalians.com/products/mozzarella-tee
Wow! One of your best comparisons and review. Always had questions on the hype of the true DOP Italian balsamic vinegar. Thanks as always for the education!! :-)
Thank you Rohit! Always great to be of service and I really appreciate hearing from you. All the best and thank you for the encouragement!
So, how many times did you watch the loop of your friend choosing your balsamic glaze over the others? C'mon, admit it! I'd be impressed that my recipe was so well received. George, we have a bottle of Guiseppi Guisti 3 medal and 5 medal (our fav) "balsamic". Push aside the cheese and serve strawberries with a drizzle of balsamic. OMG. Well, I know what we're having tomorrow...Love ya, mean it!
I hope you give me a recipe a try, Sue! It’s really really good. Thank you for reaching out! Always great to hear from you.
LOVE IT. THANK YOU
Thank you! My pleasure.
Thank you
For not jealously guarding YOUR receipt
@@susanfitch8698 my pleasure
that's pretty crazy. I wonder if the glaze you've made has similar longevity to the traditional stuff.
Mine is still fine from six months ago! Cheers!
I apologize Chef, but you said the lost weight of the port reduction was 30%, or the lost weight of the port + the maple syrup was 30%? I mean, you didn't actually reduce the port and maple syrup as a mixtue by 30%, right? Can't wait to try this once I buy a dehydrator!!
I see my question was addressed further down in the comments. So dehydrate the mixture at 140 F until you've reduced to 30% of the original weight. My only remaining question is: how long did you simmer the port to cook off the alcohol? I just ordered a dehydrator and will start on this soon. Thank you so much for sharing your content!
Thanks. Sorry I didn’t respond earlier. Just burn off the alcohol.
@@AwareHouseChef I honestly don't know how long that takes as I have never cooked off anything with alcohol.. I fear I will keep taking tastes as it is reducing, and my tongue won't be able to detect the absence of alcohol. Clearly I am not a chef. 🙂
Süper . Greetings from Istanbul 😊
Thank you! All the best!
You don’t have to silence the gaps in between the dialogue, it makes a somewhat annoying effect. Other than that perfect video! Going to try your recipe:))
Ok thanks!
Now you started a fire in me that i cant extinguish
I LOVE myself some good Balsamic. But im too stingy too spend 100+$ for expensive ones. But now i will try this
I just eat too much of it to afford the aged stuff. Let me know how yours turns out!
You always come up with the most interesting and unexpected content! It's really well researched and produced. I wish I had a dehydrator to try this out.
Thank you so much Dustin! What is the minimum temperature your oven will drop down to? You might be able to rig something up! All the best.
@@AwareHouseChef Hi George! I just checked. The lowest true temperate is 80C / 176F. I don't know how well that holds. There is also a "keep warm" function that the manual says varies unpredictably from 70-80C / 158-176F.
I might just be able to use that, especially if I keep the door open a bit. Thanks for the idea. Didn't think about it.
@@dustinhsiao3681 try to get a fan to blow into the oven. Air movement can speed things up a bit. Hope it works!
@@AwareHouseChef My oven has a convection setting that uses a tiny fan mounted in the back. It may be too weak though. I'll try using an additional fan. Thanks for all the advice!
@@dustinhsiao3681 that is actually perfect. My dehydrated doesn’t have a very powerful fan either.
That's a great little experiment.
That thing about saying WITHOUT conviction about Alex.. 😁
Thank you!
Costco is king!!
I enjoy Pepsi. I recently purchased on of those machines that you can make your own soda. I am now addicted to balsamic soda.
I would have loved to seen the test also run with Parmesan cheese.
Thanks! I can vouch for the homemade version with Parmesan. Cheers!
You can come cook in my kitchen any day. Cheers!
It would be my pleasure. All the best!
Great video and impressive job with the "clone"!
Thank you! I appreciate your kindness. Cheers!
Awesome
Thank you!
Nice shirt!
Thank you!
I buy the red bootle
Wonderful …Information new subscriber………😊
Thank you and welcome! All the best!!
Hmm... It almost seemed like the first chef preferred the lighter tasting balsamic. Perhaps this is due to using high quality ingredients and thinking of the balsamic as an addition to those ingredients? Preferring that that balsamic be an undertone and complimenting flavor to the primary ingredients? I don't know... maybe I'm reading too much into him saying that it had a lighter taste.
I will definitely try this in the future.
It lends itself to his cooking style as well. He is a great, great chef. He focuses on simple clean and fresh. All the best!
Many people all over the world have "Balsamic" imprinted onto their brain to mean the stuff we typically buy for $10. So what he's looking for in cooking is probably the more acidic brighter profile we see on salads and so on. Which nobody uses the traditional types for. The second chef was obviously using it as an accent and focused on the umami notes.
Costco's Kirkland Organic Balsamic Vinegar is great straight up for us hard working normal people
Great, great stuff. Always a bottle on hand. Cheers!
My guru from now..
Humbled. Much appreciated. Cheers!
you are AMAZING
Thank you. I am really glad you liked it. Cheers!
I'm going to try your recipe this weekend. I will report back.
Please do!!
I have it in my dehydrator for 130 degrees F. I didn't know what evaporated port meant, so i put it in straight from the bottle. (hope that doesn't ruin it) I am estimating to check it in about 12 hours to check progress.
@thomasb1943 yeah you had to boil off the alcohol from the port. It won’t be bad but you will taste the alcohol. Sorry I wasn’t more clear about that
@@AwareHouseChef I just tried it this morning and it is delicious! I'm already planning on trying to pair it with a ton of foods. Do you have any suggestions around storage? Do I need to store it in the fridge? About how long do you think it lasts? (I think I'm going to eat all of this first batch, but I'm thinking about having some on hand in the future)
@thomasb1943 that makes me so happy! No fridge needed! Put it on everything including Kirkland vanilla ice cream! Cheers!
Your sweat shirt kick .ss!!
Thank you!
Can't we bring the aged flavor without wine😢 I mean without alcohol
@@user-rl2ws4sr3k you do burn off the alcohol in the pan. The similarity to aged balsamic comes from the years of the port being in the barrel.
@@AwareHouseChef thanks aaaaa lotttt
@@AwareHouseChef but i still have a difficulty.... in my country we don't have or sell wine 🙂 that's why I asked you
The instructions need to be a little clearer please. Picked everything up and I assuming that only the port was reduced and the recipe weight is the reduction weight. And also there was no reduction with the vinegar
My apologies. Here are the proportions as a recipe on my website:
awarehousechef.com/assets/files/Balsamic.pdf
Reduce the entire balsamic to 30% of its original weight
@@AwareHouseChef ok excellent mix everything together at those proportions and then reduce to 30% of original weight 👍🏼
Correct
@@AwareHouseChef OK, I went down the Rabbit hole, with a bottle of La Secchia 25 year next to me for reference. I was trying to produce 750 grams to fill up an empty bottle of 1942. (Started with 1071 total grams at proper proportions) took 60 minutes of constant stirring on low heat and when I felt crystallization I killed the heat and turned it back on a minute later. Where I finally ended up with was about 610 grams, just slightly over a 40% reduction but dam... yummy. I would highly recommend trying it with this reduction. It would seem at 30% it was still a lightly acidic when compared to the La Secchia 25 year.
@rtm6930 so you did it without a dehydrator? Glad it worked out! And thank you for letting me know!
I was, like, if you add ginger to it, that's basically my Ginger balsamic reduction.
Time equals money, so therefore the one that has been aged for the most amount of time, like literally a century, is going to cost the most money to purchase. It’s not rocket science here.
Hmm could not find the recipe. Go to your recipes click on the picture and that’s all there is. Is a picture.
I have to fix that. Carefully click on the title
Hello Chef, Fantastic Videos. I love the attention to detail. The Presentation and dialogue are excellent. Having said that, I also can't get/find the recipe and I'm dying to try it. I do see what you are referring to... if you're not careful, you get a pic. On other recipes I get the option to download a pdf. In this case it's either the pic, or when clicked correctly, it just goes to the UA-cam video. Any suggestions? Subscribed and sharing!!! Thank you.
@@abelfaia5101 thank you. I think it is finally fixed but here is the link:
awarehousechef.com/assets/files/Balsamic.pdf
Thank you very much! Are the indicated weights for the Porto and Balsamic before or after reduction?
Ghetto balsamic - $86
Real balsamic - priceless
!
reggio emelia : am i a joke to you?
Ha. Reggio Emelia probably would have watched to the end of the video…
There are actually two things going on here.
1. you were attempting to emulate the most expensive product......and you accomplished that.
2. The judgement of "the best" is too broad. Best for what? Best for salads? Best for its vinegar quality? Best for a condiment? etc etc etc
There are multiple uses for varying types of things called "balsamic vinegar". I would not use the super high quality in a salad dressing for instance.
The different flavor profiles of the different products yield a better result depending upon how they are going to be used.
Certainly there is a more expensive product.....the process requiring far more time and effort and thus the higher cost, BUT this does not mean that that product is best or most appropriate for every use.
A $5 bottle of balsamic vinegar is probably better for use in most salad dressings than the most expensive balsamic from italy.
I think what I am trying to point out is that the more expensive thing does not necessarily mean that it is a better product.
Whether the product is "the best" or not completely depends upon the intended use.
The most expensive product is the most expensive due to the process to manufacture it (including the certifications etc) but that does not make it "the best" choice for every scenario.
In the US, we are a capitalists culture and it is often (incorrectly) assumed that the most expensive is the best, period...end of story.
But that is not nearly "the whole story".
The proper product for the proper use.
The chef, Alex, who I featured in this show, is well on his way to receiving either James Beard award or a Michelin star. And clearly he chose the least expensive of the lot, based on his experience with balsamic vinegar, and his taste profile in his cooking. So yes, there are many different factors. Clearly, I was trying to replicate the most expensive one, calling it the best. But everything is subjective. I truly appreciate your commentary and that you’ve reached out. Thank you for the kind compliments!
With all due respect, I think you should’ve chosen Italian chefs to judge the balsamic vinegars, or people who work in the industry (I’m neither Italian nor work in the industry). If a chef’s palate is not properly trained it doesn’t matter how many awards he has, he’s not going to be a good judge.
I actually did. None of them wanted to go on film.
“Giusti” pronounced ju-stee.
Thanks!
It's expensive because the real deal is aged (cared) for 12 years minimum.
Watch the video
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤Thanks, I spend a futune on that .
Glad to help!