What is vinegar?

Since ancient times it has been known that wine, when poorly stored or exposed to the air, undergoes a degradation process that increases its acidity and makes it have a spicy and sour taste, giving rise to the vinegar. It derives from the Latin words "vin", wine, and "acre", sour or sour, sour wine.
Chemically, alcohol, of the formula C2H5OH, when attacked by oxygen, (environmental or by the action of some yeasts) reacts by losing hydrogen, and adding oxygen, reacting in acetic acid of formula CH3COOH, and Water.
Pure acetic acid is a colorless liquid with a pungent taste that boils at 118 ° C and solidifies at 16.7 ° C. It is a weak-acting organic acid that reacts with metals and other organic compounds.
In the industry, acetic acid is used in its pure form, for textile treatments, glue making and other chemicals called acetates, since acetic acid splits into two radicals: an H + radical and the acetate radical CH3COO-. It is also used for the paint, plastics, leather tanning, and textile industries.

For domestic use, vinegar is obtained by the degradation of alcohols, mainly cane and apple, as well as some special ones, made from other alcoholic beverages or added with spices; Its acetic acid concentration is 3% to 8%. Its properties for the preservation of food have been known since ancient times, since it inhibits the growth of many bacteria, in addition that alters the structure of food, softening some vegetables and delaying the decomposition of meat due to its reaction with proteins. It is also used as a stabilizer for the preparation of some meringues and emulsions where eggs are used, since the acid reacts with the albumin, coagulating and solidifying it.