Good cooks understand the importance of acid in cooking, how it adds brightness and balance and can make flavors 'pop.' Sometimes all it takes is a simple squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar to move a dish from pretty good to spectacular, so having a few great vinegars on hand is an essential pantry item. This recipe for maple vinegar, made with four simple ingredients, produces a unique, nuanced vinegar that will work drizzled on everything from roasted butternut squash to ice cream. Seriously good stuff.

DIY holiday gift makers take note: you may want to start this one soon! More

We've gone a bit mad for vinegar drinks this summer, and making homemade shrubs led us to another old-fashioned refresher: the switchel. Dating back to the early American colonies and possibly the Caribbean before that, this vinegar and ginger drink became known as haymaker's punch in the 19th century, when it was served to quench farmers' thirst during the hay harvest. It's a fun recipe to tinker with and a charming alternative to aggressively sweet modern day drinks. More

Fruit flies are the scourge of the summer kitchen. With plenty of ripe fruit sitting out on the counters, my kitchen has been attracting these little flies for the past couple weeks, so I decided to search this site for a solution. A trick recommended again and again by readers in the comments ended up being the quickest, easiest way to rid my kitchen of these pesky flies. More

If there's one thing that can bring us out of mourning the end of elderflower season, it's the appearance of elderberries. These juicy, tangy, slightly sweet and Vitamin C-packed berries make delicious jellies, wines, and syrups – and, we recently learned, shrubs. Ever had a shrub? More

If tomatoes are the superhero of summer, balsamic vinegar is its side kick. Gazpachos, fresh tomato sauces, even a simple tomato salad: balsamic ready to step in whenever those tomatoes need an extra hand. More

Q: A few years ago you covered a question about vinegar mothers. Well I've got a new spin on the question.

My balsamic vinegar has grown a mother. Is there any way I can use it to make vinegar from wine? I know that balsamic is traditionally made from un-fermented pressed grapes carefully aged in barrels. That sounds too complicated to do at home, but I'd love to find some use for this mother.

Sent by Liz More

The farmers' markets are wide open, and I am having fruit envy. I have been surrounded by strawberries, cherries, and other early summer fruit, and I want to bring it all home with me! But I can't eat all that fruit, and I don't have time to can it all either. So I will most likely freeze some, then turn to the easiest, simplest, most long-lasting way to preserve the flavor of fresh summer fruit: Fruit vinegar. Here's why. More

I'm usually a basic pantry kind of gal but every now and then I like to treat myself to something a little special to inspire my palate and uplift my spirits. With their boldly designed labels and innovative flavors, the Noble Handcrafted Tonics line of maple syrups and vinegars are just the kind of thing to snag my attention and reel me, helpless, into temptation. More

Yes, you read that right. Banana vinegar. Have you ever tried this stuff? And if so, how do you cook with it? More

Q: I recently received a lovely bottle of lavender-infused balsamic vinegar from a friend. She says she loves it in salad dressing, but I'm wondering how else I can use it.

Any ideas for me?

Sent by Ann More