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| | Mother of Them All |
 | | He is referring, not to a human, nor even to an animal mother, but to a vinegar mother, that curious jelly-like formation of bacteria and yeast which fosters the production of acetic acid, the key component of vinegar. |
 | | Like the vine canes and wine, Rays relationship with his vinegar is symbiotic; he knows by instinct when all is well, or when the temperature of the mash is falling dangerously low and the mother may die. |
 | | The acidity of commercial distilled white vinegar may be as high as 6%, but wine vinegar is lower -- the Vine Valley mix runs at 4.5%, making it ideal for salad dressings and braised sauces such as sauerbraten in which vinegar is an essential flavoring. |
| www.sallys-place.com /food/columns/willan/mother_of_all.htm (1198 words) |
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