Out of White vinegar, one case
Can you use apple cider vinegar for white vinegar?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Apple cider vinegar
Same amount as the white vinegar
Yes: use the same amount. Standard apple cider vinegar and white vinegar are both sold at 5% acidity, so the swap works 1:1 in dressings, marinades, baking and pickling. What changes is the taste and the color: cider vinegar is fruitier, slightly less sharp and amber, so it can tint a pale pickle or a white sauce.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- dressings, marinades and barbecue sauce
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full white vinegar card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of white vinegar | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple cider vinegardressings, marinades and barbecue sauce | Same amountWorks | Works |
| 2 | White wine vinegarwhite sauces and pale dressings | Same amountWorks | Works |
| 3 | Rice vinegardressings and slaws | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Lemon juicebaking with baking soda | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Apple cider vinegar
fruitier and a little softer than white vinegar
Vinegar made from fermented apple juice. At the usual 5% acidity it is as sour as white vinegar, with a mild apple flavor and an amber color.
- Best for
- dressings, marinades and barbecue sauce, baking with baking soda, and homemade buttermilk, pickles and brines, when the label says 5% acidity, poaching eggs and coleslaw
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Pale pickles such as cauliflower, onions and eggs, which it darkens. Recipes that want sourness with no flavor of its own, such as a white icing, a meringue or a clear brine, where the apple note and the color both show.
For pickling and canning, check the label for 5% acidity. Some bottles are diluted to 4%.
White wine vinegar
milder and rounder, with a light wine note
Pale, clean and mild. It is the closest in color to white vinegar, so it is the better choice when the dish has to stay light.
- Best for
- white sauces and pale dressings, quick refrigerator pickles, potato salad and coleslaw
- Where it fails
- Tested canning recipes unless the bottle states at least 5% acidity.
Rice vinegar
mild and faintly sweet
Clear and gentle, usually around 4% acidity, so the dish comes out less sharp. Use the unseasoned bottle; seasoned rice vinegar has sugar and salt added.
- Best for
- dressings and slaws, quick refrigerator pickles, stir-fry sauces
- Prep
- Taste and add a little more if the dish needs more bite.
- Where it fails
- Canning and shelf-stable pickles: it is not acidic enough for a recipe written for 5% vinegar.
Lemon juice
clearly lemon
A different acid with the same job in the kitchen. It reacts with baking soda and curdles milk the way vinegar does.
- Best for
- baking with baking soda, homemade buttermilk, dressings and marinades
- Where it fails
- Pickling and canning: do not swap it for the vinegar in a tested recipe. Anything that should not taste of citrus.
Tips for substituting white vinegar
5 tips- Baking: 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar for 1 teaspoon white vinegar. It reacts with baking soda the same way, and a teaspoon or two cannot be tasted in the finished cake.
- Homemade buttermilk: 1 tablespoon cider vinegar in a measuring cup, filled to 1 cup with milk, left for 5 minutes. Same as with white vinegar.
- Pickling and canning: use only cider vinegar labeled 5% acidity, keep the amount the recipe gives, and expect darker vegetables and a fruitier brine. Never reduce the vinegar or thin it with extra water.
- Poached eggs: 1 tablespoon per quart of water works the same. The water turns slightly amber; the eggs do not.
- Raw, unfiltered cider vinegar is cloudy and leaves sediment. Use the filtered kind where a clear brine or sauce matters.
Questions
5 questionsIs apple cider vinegar as strong as white vinegar?
Usually, yes. Both are normally sold at 5% acidity in the United States, and the percentage is printed on the label. Cider vinegar tastes a little softer because of its fruit flavor, not because it is weaker. Cleaning vinegar is a different product at 6% or more and is not for cooking.
Can I use apple cider vinegar for white vinegar in pickling or canning?
Yes, as long as the bottle says 5% acidity and you use the amount the recipe calls for. The pickles will be darker and taste fruitier. Do not use homemade vinegar or any vinegar of unknown strength for canning.
Will apple cider vinegar change the taste of a cake or pancakes?
Not in the amounts baking uses. A teaspoon or tablespoon reacts with the baking soda and its flavor bakes out. Use it 1:1.
Can I use apple cider vinegar for white vinegar when cleaning?
It will work, because the acidity is the same, but white vinegar is the better choice. Cider vinegar is amber and can stain light fabric and grout, it costs more, and its smell lingers longer. Rinse well if you use it.
Can I use apple cider vinegar to dye Easter eggs?
Yes, in the same amount, usually 1 teaspoon per ½ cup of dye water. The amber tint can shift pale colors slightly; white vinegar keeps them truest.