How long does fruit balsamic vinegar last?
That depends on how it is made.
The amount of time this type of vinegar will last depends on what form the produce is in when added to the cooked grapes. The main forms fruit vinegars come in are purees, extracts and freeze-dried.
Purees
85% water and highly processed.
The most popular form chosen by companies is purees. Purees are approximately 85% water though and this water content poses a serious issue to the shelf life. Purees can only be stored for three to four days, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator. To combat this problem chemical preservatives are added, as well as high heat which drastically reduces the nutritional value. Heat and processing breaks down vital nutrients and enzymes. After all of this, the puree is then deareated to remove the oxygen and then pasteurized. Pasteurization requires even more heat; heat at high temperatures for long periods of time in order to kill bacteria. The only true value all this processing lends the vinegar itself, is added shelf life as the bottles are good for 3 to 5 years.
Extracts
Ethanol produced and short shelf life.
The second most popular available form fruit flavors may come in, are extracts. Extracts are made by using a solvent such as ethanol, to extract the flavor from the raw materials. The shelf life of extracts however is only good for 6 months to 1 year and so is the balsamic which contains it. It is therefore not a very popular method of making fruit balsamic vinegars.
Freeze-Dried
97% pure fruit and unmatched nutritional value.
Freeze dried is the form that we add our fruit in. To date we are not only the first company using freeze-dried fruits, but THE ONLY company using freeze-dried fruits. Freeze drying involves freezing the ripe fruit to -30 Celsius so that the cellular integrity is kept intact. This ensures that the nutritional value, enzymes and natural fruit fiber will be as present as it would be in its fresh state. Unlike the fresh state however, the freeze-dried fruit does not contain 85% water but rather a moisture content of about only 3%. So what you are getting in your bottle of balsamic vinegar is not water and nutritionally void processed fruit, but a highly concentrated and flavorful optimally healthy alternative. Best yet, freeze-dried fruits have a shelf life of between 25 and 30 years. As vinegar improves with age, having a fruit that can age with it, is more than ideal. So a balsamic vinegar with freeze-dried fruit will last between 25 and 30 years. It is by far the most effective form for both health and shelf life.
