The National Center for Home Food Preservation, which is out of the University of Georgia Extension, has been fielding questions about using 4% acidity white distilled vinegar that is available for home cooks on grocery store shelves. People will often use 4% acidic vinegar to help make salad dressings and sauces. However, it is recommended for safety when canning to use 5% acidic white distilled and cider kinds of vinegar. We ask home canners to read the label of the vinegar they intend to buy at the store closely to look for the acid percentage before purchasing and using it for canning purposes.
Further questions? Email Shauna C. Henley, PhD at shenley@umd.edu.
Shauna is the Family & Consumer Sciences Senior Agent at the University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore County