Malt vinegar is a common ingredient in fish and chips, vinegarettes, and a variety of other meals. It’s a double fermented vinegar produced from brewed barley that has just 0.1mg of sodium and 0.1mg of potassium per 1tsp yet boasts a punchy, acidic taste.

While it is quite simple to acquire at your local grocery store, you may find yourself in need of a substitution if you have run out and need it quickly, require a gluten-free option, or just dislike the flavor.

Apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, white vinegar, and red wine vinegar are the finest malt vinegar replacements.

To cover all bases, we’ve included goods that are close matches as well as ones that are comparable in consistency and usage but have a distinct taste on this list.

Top 5 Malt Vinegar Replacements

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar, or simply apple vinegar, has become a very popular health food in recent years.

It is praised for its health advantages and is often recommended as a sure-fire weight reduction method. Let’s take a closer look at apple vinegar and learn why it’s such an excellent malt vinegar alternative.

Apple vinegar is made from fermented apples. The method begins with smashing apples and submerging them in water. After that, they are allowed to ferment. The natural sugars in apples degrade to generate ethanol, which is then converted to acetic acid.

The end product is a moderate vinegar with a faint apple cider flavor. Per teaspoon, it has just 0.3mg of sodium and 3.7mg of potassium.

Chutneys, salad dressings, marinades, and pickling all use apple cider vinegar. It contains no grains and is gluten-free. It also contains almost no calories.

While there are few scientific studies to back up the claims, apple vinegar is supposed to help with obesity, blood sugar and insulin levels, and the risk of some malignancies.

Keep in mind that there is no scientific support for these claims, and the apple cider vinegar craze is more about fad diets than science.

Drinking large volumes of apple cider vinegar or drinking it directly may cause throat and stomach discomfort, as well as damage to the throat and stomach lining and heartburn.

In terms of flavor, apple vinegar is perhaps the most comparable to malt vinegar. It is sour and acidic like other vinegars, but with a faint sweetness and a more mild taste. Apple vinegar may be used in place of malt in a one-to-one ratio. It is widely available in supermarkets and makes an excellent malt vinegar alternative for fish & chips.

2. Balsamic Vinegar

If you want something more flavorful than malt vinegar, balsamic vinegar is the way to go. Balsamic vinegar is a kind of Italian vinegar created by crushing entire grapes on the stem.

The liquid is filtered after the mash of stems, seeds, grapes, and skins is pressed. After that, it is cooked for several hours before being placed in barrels to ferment. Balsamic vinegar requires at least two months to ferment and at least three years to be termed aged vinegar.

Balsamic vinegar is distinct in that it is both sweet and rich. The more time it is matured, the thicker and sweeter it becomes. It features a lengthy, aerated maturing procedure and may be created from seven different grape varietals. In many aspects, it resembles wine more than vinegar.

Balsamic vinegar has much greater nutritional value than any other vinegar. It has 1.2mg of sodium, 5.9mg of potassium, 0.9g of carbs, and 0.8g of sugar in one teaspoon. It is darker and thicker than other vinegar and boasts a considerably deeper and richer flavor.

Balsamic vinegar has much greater nutritional value than any other vinegar. It has 1.2mg of sodium, 5.9mg of potassium, 0.9g of carbs, and 0.8g of sugar in one teaspoon. It is darker and thicker than other vinegars, with a much deeper and fuller taste.

Balsamic vinegar, like plain apple cider vinegar, may irritate your throat, induce heartburn, and even harm your stomach lining.

If you select the sweeter, more matured types, balsamic vinegar goes nicely with fish and chips, salads, marinades, steaks, poultry, and even ice cream and fruit. It may also be used in cooking and reduced to a glaze.

You may get inexpensive balsamic vinegar at your neighborhood grocer, or check artisan vendors for more luxurious and aged varieties. You may use cheaper balsamic vinegar one-to-one with malt, and thicker balsamic vinegar in lesser amounts.

3. Lemon Juice

One of the most adaptable substances is lemon juice. It may be used as a condiment in both sweet and savory foods, as well as in cooking, baking, and completed meals.

Lemon has the same sourness as malt vinegar but is significantly less acidic. It tastes fresh and zesty and is sweeter and lighter. While it is not identical like vinegar, it functions in many of the same foods. If youre looking for a malt vinegar substitute for fish and chips, then the chances are you already put lemon juice on the fish.

Lemon has the same sourness as malt vinegar but is significantly less acidic. It tastes fresh and zesty and is sweeter and lighter. While it is not identical like vinegar, it functions in many of the same foods. If you’re searching for a malt vinegar alternative for fish and chips, you’re probably already using lemon juice on the fish.

Lemon juice has antimicrobial properties, reduces blood pressure, may help prevent and cure some cancers, and is high in vitamin C, which boosts immunity. Because lemon juice is highly acidic, consuming too much of it may cause mouth ulcers, damage taste receptors, and erode tooth enamel.

Lemon juice is widely available in supermarkets and works well as a salad dressing, over meat or vegetable meals, in desserts, and beverages. Because the taste may be quite strong, use it as a one-to-one substitute for malt vinegar or less.

4. White Vinegar

Because it is often offered with malt vinegar in restaurants, white vinegar is a simple replacement. It contains around 10% acetic acid and 90% water. You could like it because of its flavor, adaptability, or cleaning powers.

It is a common ingredient in many meals and is often used to pickle foods, boil rice, bake, create sauces, frosting, and other things.

The flavor is harsher than malt vinegar but has less overall flavor. It may be used in every situation where malt vinegar can be utilized. The most versatile vinegar is white vinegar.

With just 0.1mg of sodium and 0.1mg of potassium in 1tsp, white vinegar has almost no nutritional benefit. White vinegar, like other vinegars, is antibacterial and antimicrobial, lowers cholesterol, regulates blood sugar levels, and may aid in weight reduction.

White vinegar may be used in the same amounts as malt vinegar. White vinegar, unlike other vinegars, may be purchased in bottles or in bulk. The big jugs are ideal since you can split the vinegar into multiple containers and have some on hand for cooking and some for cleaning.

5. Red Wine Vinegar

Red wine vinegar is a frequently overlooked vinegar that is worth investigating. It is a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine and may be found in vinegarettes, marinades, pickling, and other dishes.

Red wine vinegar’s fermentation process is more complex than that of other vinegars. To produce red wine vinegar, first ferment red grapes like you would red wine.

When the grapes have reached the consistency and flavor of red wine, a second fermentation phase occurs.

If you leave red wine alone, it will ferment for a time but will not sour and convert the ethanol to acetic acid like other vinegars. To begin the second fermentation, manufacturers add what is known as a mother.

The mother is an acetic acid and cellulose-based live starting biofilm. It aids in the fermentation process, similar to yeast in bread manufacturing.

When the residual alcohol levels are 2% or below, the second fermentation begins. The end product is a tart vinegar with a vivid crimson colour. Aside from a minuscule quantity of potassium, it has almost little nutritional value.

The taste strength of red wine vinegar is comparable to that of malt vinegar, but it maintains many of the wine-like properties. It is one of the most difficult vinegars to locate in ordinary grocery shops, and you may need to seek it out from artisanal vendors or Mediterranean grocers.

Red wine vinegar may be used in place of malt vinegar.