What Can I Substitute for White Vinegar?

You're adding a splash of vinegar to a cake, pancake or eggless batter so the bicarb soda fizzes and lifts it.

• apple cider vinegar — 5 ml for every 5 ml white vinegar (1 tsp)
• lemon juice — 5 ml for every 5 ml white vinegar (1 tsp)

Both are acidic enough to react fully with the bicarb soda, and in a sweet batter the small amount of apple or lemon flavour bakes into the background.

You're whisking egg whites and sugar for a pavlova or meringue and the recipe adds a teaspoon of vinegar.

• white wine vinegar — 5 ml for every 5 ml white vinegar (1 tsp)
• lemon juice — 5 ml for every 5 ml white vinegar (1 tsp)

Both supply the acid that helps the egg-white foam hold its structure and give the pavlova its soft centre, and both are pale enough to keep the shell white.

You're making pickles, chutney or relish to store in the pantry, following a tested recipe.

• white wine vinegar — 250 ml for every 250 ml white vinegar
• apple cider vinegar — 250 ml for every 250 ml white vinegar

These vinegars match the acetic acid that does the preserving, but only if the label says at least 5% acidity, so check before you start; white wine vinegar keeps the brine clearer, while apple cider vinegar tints it slightly amber.

You're making quick pickled onions, cucumbers or a slaw that will live in the fridge and be eaten within a week or two.

• rice vinegar — 250 ml for every 250 ml white vinegar
• apple cider vinegar — 250 ml for every 250 ml white vinegar

Here the vinegar is there for sharpness rather than long-term preserving, so milder rice vinegar works well; if yours is seasoned, leave out some of the sugar and salt in the brine.

You're whisking up a vinaigrette, a marinade or a sauce that needs a sharp edge to cut through oil or richness.

• white wine vinegar — 15 ml for every 15 ml white vinegar (3 tsp)
• apple cider vinegar — 15 ml for every 15 ml white vinegar (3 tsp)
• red wine vinegar — 15 ml for every 15 ml white vinegar (3 tsp)

All three supply the acidity that balances fat and sweetness; white wine vinegar stays closest to the neutral flavour, while red wine vinegar suits robust dressings and meat marinades where a pink tint does not matter.

You're stirring vinegar into milk to make a stand-in for buttermilk for scones, pancakes or a cake.

• lemon juice — 15 ml for every 15 ml white vinegar (3 tsp)
• apple cider vinegar — 15 ml for every 15 ml white vinegar (3 tsp)

Either acid thickens and curdles the milk slightly in 5–10 minutes and then reacts with the bicarb soda in the recipe, and neither flavour shows once baked.

Your cake or pancakes came out dense and flat with a soapy or metallic aftertaste.

Why: Not enough acid reached the bicarb soda, either because less substitute went in or because the batter sat too long before baking, so unreacted bicarb was left behind.

Can't be fixed — next time: This can't be fixed once baked; next time use the same volume of substitute as the vinegar, mix it in last and get the batter into the oven straight away.

Your pickles or brine have turned brown, amber, pink or cloudy.

Why: Malt, red wine, balsamic or apple cider vinegar carries its own colour, and fresh lemon juice can cloud a brine.

Can't be fixed — next time: The colour can't be removed but the pickles are fine to eat if the vinegar was strong enough; next time use white wine vinegar for clear pickles.

Your dressing or slaw tastes too sweet and salty and not sharp enough.

Why: Seasoned rice vinegar was used, and it already contains sugar and salt on top of what the recipe adds.

Fix: Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a little more vinegar to bring back the sharpness, and add oil or more vegetables to dilute the salt.

Your dressing or soured milk tastes harsher and more sour than expected.

Why: An Australian 20 ml tablespoon was used for a recipe written with 15 ml tablespoons, so about a third more acid went in.

Fix: Balance a dressing with more oil or a pinch of sugar, and add a little more milk to soured milk; next time measure 15 ml for each tablespoon in UK, NZ, US or Canadian recipes.

Is white vinegar the same as white wine vinegar?

No, they are different products. White vinegar is made from a neutral distilled alcohol and tastes of sharp acid alone, while white wine vinegar is made from wine and has a softer, slightly fruity flavour. They can be swapped one for one in most recipes, including pickles, as long as the label shows at least 5% acidity.

Is spirit vinegar the same as white vinegar?

Yes, spirit vinegar is the usual UK name for clear white vinegar. Distilled malt vinegar is also clear and can be used the same way, but it is made from malted barley, so check the label if you are cooking gluten-free.

Can I leave the vinegar out of a pavlova?

You can, but the pavlova is more likely to weep, crack or lose its soft, marshmallowy centre. The acid helps the egg-white foam hold together as it bakes, so lemon juice or white wine vinegar in the same amount is a better choice than leaving it out.

Can I use cleaning vinegar for cooking or pickling?

No, use vinegar sold for food. Cleaning vinegar can be stronger than food vinegar and is not intended to be eaten, so it is not a safe swap in pickles, dressings or baking.

How much is a tablespoon of vinegar in a UK or US recipe?

A tablespoon in UK, NZ, US and Canadian recipes is 15 ml. An Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, so measuring with one adds about a third more vinegar, which is enough to make a dressing or soured milk noticeably sharper. Use a 15 ml measure or three 5 ml teaspoons for those recipes.

Is white vinegar gluten-free?

White vinegar is generally treated as gluten-free, even when it is made from grain, because the gluten does not carry through distillation. Brown malt vinegar is different because it is made from barley and contains gluten, so do not use it as a swap for someone with coeliac disease.