Out of White vinegar, one case

Can you substitute rice vinegar for white vinegar?

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Unseasoned rice vinegar

Same amount as the white vinegar

Yes, in cooking. Start with the same amount of unseasoned rice vinegar; it is milder, about 4 percent acid against white vinegar's 5 percent, so for the same sharpness use 1 tablespoon plus ¾ teaspoon for each tablespoon of white vinegar. It tastes softer and slightly sweet. Do not use it in a tested canning recipe, which needs vinegar of at least 5 percent acidity, and check the bottle is not seasoned rice vinegar, which has sugar and salt added.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Start with the same amount, taste, and add up to a quarter more if the dish needs the sharpness. In baking, use the same amount as the recipe gives.
Best for —: dressings, slaws and marinades
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full white vinegar card

Every option, one card

Ranked

White vinegar substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of white vinegar	Verdict
1	Unseasoned rice vinegardressings, slaws and marinades	Same amountTweak it	Tweak it
2	Seasoned rice vinegarcoleslaw and cucumber salad	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
3	Apple cider vinegarpickling and canning, if the label says 5 percent	Same amountWorks	Works
4	White wine vinegardressings and sauces	Same amountWorks	Works
5	Lemon juicedressings and marinades	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Rice vinegar in a canning recipe	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Unseasoned rice vinegar

milder and faintly sweet; less harsh

A pale, mild vinegar made from fermented rice. It does the same job as white vinegar in food with less bite and a rounder flavor.

Best for: dressings, slaws and marinades, sauces and stir-fries, refrigerator pickles, baking with baking soda, and souring milk
Prep: Start with the same amount, taste, and add up to a quarter more if the dish needs the sharpness. In baking, use the same amount as the recipe gives.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Canning for shelf storage, and cleaning or descaling, where it is weaker and costs more.

Check the acidity printed on the label. Most rice vinegar is 4 to 4.3 percent; white distilled vinegar is 5 percent.

Seasoned rice vinegar

sweet and salty as well as sour

Rice vinegar with sugar and salt already added, sold for sushi rice. It works where the recipe also has sugar and salt you can cut.

Best for: coleslaw and cucumber salad, sweet-and-sour sauces, quick pickles that include sugar
Prep: Leave out some of the sugar and salt in the recipe, taste, and add them back as needed.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Baking, poaching eggs and any recipe with no sugar in it. Never for cleaning: the sugar leaves a sticky film.

Apple cider vinegar

fruitier, and amber in color

Sold at the same 5 percent acidity as white vinegar, so it swaps evenly and is the better choice when strength matters.

Best for: pickling and canning, if the label says 5 percent, barbecue sauce and marinades, baking
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: It tints pale pickles and white sauces.

White wine vinegar

a little fruitier and less harsh

Clear, sharp and at least as strong as white vinegar, with a light wine flavor.

Best for: dressings and sauces, pickles that should stay pale, deglazing
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Cleaning, where it is a waste of a pricier vinegar.

Lemon juice

clearly lemon

A different acid with about the same strength in the kitchen. Use it when there is no vinegar at all.

Best for: dressings and marinades, souring milk for baking, activating baking soda
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Pickles and any dish where a citrus flavor does not belong.

Rice vinegar in a canning recipe

milder

Tested canning recipes are built on vinegar of at least 5 percent acidity. Most rice vinegar is weaker than that.

Best for: refrigerator pickles only, kept cold and eaten within a few weeks
Where it fails: In jars processed for the shelf, a weaker vinegar can leave the contents not acidic enough to be safe. Do not change the vinegar in a tested canning recipe unless the replacement is labeled 5 percent.

Tips for substituting white vinegar

5 tips

Read the front label. Seasoned or sushi rice vinegar has sugar and salt; plain, unseasoned or natural rice vinegar does not. They are not interchangeable.
For the same sharpness, use a quarter more: 1 tablespoon plus ¾ teaspoon per tablespoon, or 1 ¼ cups per cup. In most dressings and sauces an even swap is close enough.
To sour milk for baking, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar per cup of milk works the same as white vinegar. Let it stand 5 minutes.
For poached eggs, add the same splash you would of white vinegar. It helps the whites set and leaves less of a vinegar taste.
Rice vinegar is not a cleaning substitute. Use lemon juice or citric acid for descaling if you are out of white vinegar.

Questions

5 questions

Is rice vinegar the same as white vinegar?

No. White distilled vinegar is made from grain alcohol and is sharp, flavorless and 5 percent acid. Rice vinegar is made from fermented rice and is milder, slightly sweet and usually 4 to 4.3 percent acid. They do the same job in food at different strengths.

Can I use rice vinegar for pickling?

For refrigerator pickles, yes; the brine is milder and a little sweeter. For pickles canned for shelf storage, no, unless the bottle says 5 percent acidity. A tested canning recipe depends on that strength, so do not swap in a weaker vinegar.

Can I use rice vinegar in baking in place of white vinegar?

Yes, in the same amount, as long as it is unseasoned. A teaspoon or tablespoon of vinegar in a cake is there to react with the baking soda, and rice vinegar is acidic enough to do it.

Can I clean with rice vinegar?

It works poorly. It is weaker than white vinegar and costs several times as much, and seasoned rice vinegar leaves sugar behind. Keep it for cooking.

Can I substitute white vinegar for rice vinegar?

Yes, with the adjustment reversed: use about ¾ of the amount and add a small pinch of sugar to soften it. White vinegar is sharper and has no sweetness.