Quince Vinegar

Quince Vinegar from Gölles. Honey-sweet fruit, fresh acidity, the lemon of the North.

Quince Vinegar from the Gölles manufactory is made from fermented quince juice and replaces fresh lemon in many recipes, 250 ml. No quince jelly, no balsamic vinegar, no pickling vinegar.

Quince Vinegar is a fermented vinegar from Eastern Styria, for which fully ripe quince juice ferments twice. In grandmother's time, the quince was often called the lemon of the North. Today, it is rarely found in the fruit bowl. This vinegar brings it back into the kitchen. It smells of honey and yellow fruit, its acidity is bright and clear.

Honey-sweet, lemony and surprisingly fresh

Gölles quince vinegar combines honey-sweet fruitiness with citrus-like freshness and five percent acidity. The sweetness is an impression of the fruit, not a taste of sugar.

Compared to lemon juice, it is rounder and more floral. Compared to apple cider vinegar, it is significantly more aromatic. It is precisely this mixture that makes it so versatile, as soon as a dish needs acidity but cannot tolerate harshness. On the nose, Gölles describes fresh quince juice, white roses, lime and pink grapefruit; dark or nutty notes are missing.

Anyone expecting the sweet, jammy taste of cooked quince will find the vinegar too sour. It is an acid provider, not a dessert syrup. It is also less suitable for a dressing that is meant to be bold and tart than a wine vinegar.

Hollandaise, Mayonnaise, Fish and Asian Cuisine

Gölles recommends quince vinegar for sauce hollandaise and béarnaise, mayonnaise, fish and Asian dishes. As an oil partner, the house mentions peanut oil, linseed oil and sunflower oil.

For a hollandaise, replace the usual reduction of white wine and lemon with 2 tbsp of quince vinegar and one chopped shallot. For a hand-whisked mayonnaise made from one egg yolk and 200 ml of sunflower oil, 1 tsp is sufficient instead of lemon juice. Steamed zander or trout gets a few drops just before serving.

In Asian cuisine, it goes well with glass noodle salad with peanuts, coriander and cucumber. For this, mix 2 tbsp of vinegar, 1 tbsp of peanut oil, 1 tsp of soy sauce and some lime leaf. Sushi rice can also be seasoned with a mixture of quince vinegar, sugar and salt instead of rice vinegar, while the fruit remains subtle.

A honey-mustard dressing needs no further acidity with quince vinegar, and a remoulade gets a bright freshness with it.

From experience: Where a recipe calls for lemon, dose the quince vinegar a little more sparingly at first and taste. Anyone looking for a mild, clearly lemony alternative should try the lemon seasoning with balsamic wine vinegar.

The Forgotten Fruit and a Simple Kitchen Rule

Quinces thrive in the Southeast Styrian Vulkanland alongside apples, damson plums and pears, all around the Riegersburg. Gölles carries quince vinegar under the creative fruit vinegars, a product line that has existed since 1996. The manufactory was founded by Alois Gölles, who began distilling in his father's fruit-growing business in 1979. It is made without flavorings, colorings or preservatives.

For production, the quinces are broken down and pressed, their juice fermenting naturally into alcohol. The vinegar mother then starts the second fermentation. After that, the vinegar matures for at least one year in stainless steel, which lets the fruit remain unadulterated. Raw, the quince is hard and tart; only when fermented does it reveal its aroma.

A simple rule of thumb applies in the manufactory. Where a kitchen needs acidity, for example from wine or lemon, good vinegar can take over this role. Dosed with sensitivity, it makes dishes livelier. This is especially true for quince vinegar, because in addition to acidity, it also brings aroma.

A Vinegar That Replaces Lemons in the Pantry

Fresh lemons go dry, mold, or are missing exactly when the sauce is finished. Anyone who rarely buys lemons knows this problem from their own kitchen. A bottle of quince vinegar, on the other hand, keeps for a long time and is always at hand. Even after opening, vinegar does not spoil, but the fine aroma lasts longer in the refrigerator.

For zest and peel, the fresh lemon remains irreplaceable; the vinegar can only replace its juice. As a gift, the bottle is suitable for people who like to whisk sauces and appreciate old fruit varieties.

The lemon of the North in the kitchen cabinet: a spoonful of quince vinegar, and the hollandaise gets an aroma that no lemon can deliver.