22 January: Vinegar

Today is the feast day of Saint Vincent of Saragossa, patron of vinegar-makers. Here are ten things you might not know about vinegar:

1. Vinegar is basically diluted acetic acid which has the chemical formula C2H4O2. The vinegar you put on your chips is usually 5% acetic acid mixed with Water.
2. The word vinegar is derived from French, “vin aigre,” literally meaning sour Wine.
3. You could argue that’s exactly what it is, a continuation of the chemical reactions which first turn the Sugar in fruits to alcohol and then the alcohol breaks down to acetic acid. It can happen naturally as wine spoils, or, if vinegar is the desired end product, acetic acid Bacteria can be added to aid the process.
4. Vinegar can be made from a variety of substances, including Barley, Rice, palm fruits including coconuts and dates, Grapes and Apples.
5. The Babylonians knew about it in 5,000 BC. They used it as a condiment and preservative and would add herbs and spices for extra flavour.
6. It gets several mentions in the Bible. For example, in Ruth 2:14, after working hard in the fields, Ruth was invited by Boaz to eat bread and dip it in vinegar. It was also an ingredient in the concoction Jesus was offered to drink on the cross. Matthew says it was mixed with gall and Mark says it was mixed with myrrh. Jesus refused it at first because the drink was typically mixed with a drug to dull the senses and He wanted to fully experience the suffering. Later, however, when close to death and severely dehydrated, He did drink it, so he would be able to declare, “It is finished” just before He died.
7. Staying with Bibles, The Vinegar Bible is a version of the King James Bible printed in 1717 by John Baskett, “printer to the King’s most excellent majesty” since 1709. Baskett went to great effort to produce a Bible with illustrations and accurate text. An experienced proof reader, William Denison, and several others, were employed to make sure the final product was perfect. However, it wasn’t. Quite a number of errors got through but the notable one was the chapter heading of Luke 20 which should have read ‘The parable of the vineyard’. Instead it reads, ‘the parable of the vinegar’ hence the title the Vinegar Bible.
8. Vinegar can be used as a cleaning agent. Uses I came across include disinfecting chopping boards and butcher blocks; removing wine stains from Cotton and cleaning Glass and steel. Cleaning CDs or DVDs so they stop freezing or sticking was also a suggestion. It is excellent for cleaning the gum on sticker-type price tags, and has been reported as an effective drain cleaner.
9. Medicinal uses it has been put to through the ages include treatment of ulcers, coughs, fevers, bacterial infections, and as a neutraliser for certain Jellyfish stings.
10. Balsamic Vinegar is made with grape must, wine vinegar and, in some cases, a dash of Caramel. It’s then aged in wooden barrels for 60 days to 3 years.

Character birthday

Shifter: Shifter is a native of Mars. He belongs to a highly developed race of Martians who live in an underground complex on a remote area of the planet. Living underground and the use of advanced cloaking technology has allowed his people to remain undetected by the probes sent from Earth. On one occasion they avoided being discovered by a probe by teleporting their entire civilization out of its path.

Shifter is a member of a growing faction of Martians who support making contact with the people of Earth. He was to be part of a mission to Earth, with three others. However, the conservative isolationists sabotaged the mission so their ship was destroyed just outside Earth's atmosphere. Shifter was the only one who managed to save himself by teleporting down to Earth. His actual date of birth isn’t known, but it was on this date that he first arrived on our planet. He made his home here, and is a member of Combat Team Delta.