Wondering what the differences are between cider vinegars, and which one to use for cooking or your health? Archie tells you all about the difference between supermarket cider vinegar and premium cider vinegar.
It is sometimes difficult to know where to buy quality cider vinegar. To help you find your way, we have organized the match of the year. On our left, the condiment, enthroned in the supermarket, a faithful of mustard pots since forever. On our right, an organic cider vinegar containing the mother with strict specifications (no product placement, but if you insist we will talk about this cider vinegar ;) ).
Where to buy apple cider vinegar according to the desired uses?
The result may not be as unanimous as you think... Let the match begin!
Round 1 – Buy by Price
“ Your product is great, but it’s 3 times more expensive than the one I find when I go shopping! ” Ok, this argument is strong… but not very valid. It would be really relevant if we could compare two equal offers. From the packaging to the manufacturing process, what they have in common is only their name. So for the beauty of semantics and because we are good sports, we will award supermarket vinegar this point.
Supermarket Cider Vinegar 1 -Premium Cider Vinegar 0
Round 2 – Choosing for cosmetic use
Although they are not directly ingested, the products we use for our skin or hair are far from harmless. But let's be honest: when it comes to apple cider vinegar, even low quality won't put you at risk. If you are looking for effectiveness, then your choice might be quite different.
For shine, it is only a question of the acidity of the product. So if the consumption of non-organic products with a distant origin and a more marked smell does not put you off, for your hair, buying cider vinegar in the supermarket will do the trick. For skin problems, it is another story. In facial lotion, the power of archi'v lies not only in its pH identical to that of the skin but also in the presence of its mother. Bacteria are necessary for the health of our skin. The fact that our cider vinegar is organic and French is also very important. Remember that products applied to the face penetrate your body through the epidermis. We will therefore always advise you to opt for zero pesticides to take care of your skin, too. To learn more, check out our article on apple cider vinegar for hair .
Supermarket Cider Vinegar 0 – Premium Cider Vinegar 1
Round 3 – The taste
The taste of cider vinegar is so special! Full of aromas, the flavor of apple and a slight acidity…. To appreciate it at its true value, take it with a teaspoon and chew it (a little secret from our favorite chef that we will tell you about soon).
By giving nature time to do its work, the aromas of apples and cider have had time to manifest themselves. That is the difference. Our apples all come from a single grove and have been selected for their nutritional and taste qualities. The quantity is limited because like any precious good, it is rare and more expensive.
Supermarket cider vinegar has this quality that it is always accessible. Always there to help out in case of lack of sourness in a green salad. It is far from the symphony of the senses but it has the merit of being available everywhere. Since it is a round on its taste virtues, it does not win this round.
Supermarket Cider Vinegar 0 -Premium Cider Vinegar 1
Round 4 – Environment
Supermarket vinegars are available everywhere, all the time, in quantity and at unbeatable prices… not without impact on the environment. However, we welcome the fact that recently, they have mostly been packaged in glass bottles (most often made in China with plastic caps, of course, but it's a great step forward!). Beyond that, to produce such quantities, the production is necessarily treated to increase yields. There are organic vinegars at attractive prices, but they generally come from apples from various farms that have crossed France, sometimes Europe, sometimes further afield… Archi'v is made from apples from the same orchard in Normandy. Without pesticides, not even the dose tolerated by the AB label. In terms of the bottle, made in France, natural unvarnished wood as a cap and a recycled label and vegetable ink. It's hard to do better.
Supermarket Cider Vinegar 0 -Premium Cider Vinegar 1
Round 5 – Health Benefits
Archi'v was created to restore the image of cider vinegar in France and show that it can be incredibly tasty and a great help for many ailments. Provided that it is unpasteurized, unfiltered and organic, produced with respect and a particular eye on the origin of the apples, it is. Supermarket vinegar, to be sold at this attractive price, is produced from apples of various origins. Artificially aged and pasteurized, it has little interest. Despite the identical list of its ingredients, it remains a processed product. So for health, let's favor the presence of bacteria (we explain why here ), apples not exposed to pesticides and quality vinegar. It would be the same to compare the nutritional contributions of a sourdough bread made from organic flour to a slice of American sandwich.
Supermarket Cider Vinegar 0 -Premium Cider Vinegar 1
Supermarket vinegar 1 – Archi'V 4. Everything opposes them but the arguments have spoken.
