VINEGAR 



Panjab 



VINEGAR 



manufacture are essentially similar to those already detailed in connection with 

 Sugar-juice. the Lower Provinces. " Fresh cane- juice is obtained from the mills, strained 



through a piece of coarse cloth and filled into earthen vessels which have been 

 well washed and dried for the purpose. The mouths of the vessels are then closed 

 with stoppers to prevent foreign matter getting into them, and they are removed 

 to a place of safety, where both sun and air can have free access. This natu- 

 rally takes place at the beginning of the summer, towards the end of the crushing 

 season, and the jars are allowed thus to stand till the commencement of the 

 rains. Throughout the rains damp is avoided as much as possible, as it affects 

 vinegar injuriously. The jars are placed in a dry and warm corner and exposed 

 Effects of Damp, to the sun at intervals. If kept in a damp place, a thick scum develops upon the 

 Scum. surface of the liquid a mould which appears all in one piece. This bears differ- 



ent names in the localities of vinegar manufacture, the most common term for 

 it is sahri. In Bijnore it is called bilai and in Meerut bhadder. The development 

 of this mould is generally considered ruinous to the vinegar and the material is 

 thrown away, but the more economical advocate curing it. They remove the scum 

 carefully, filter the liquid, change the vessels and add various preparations consisting 

 of ctieitoptHiiunt (p. 293) seeds and chillies, or of asafetida (p. 535), garlic, chillies, 

 and common salt. They also add raw bel (^Kgie xrm-nteiofi, see p. 28), munj 

 (fnifi-iinrimi fii'HtHiitnu'ettin, see p. 929), and a small quantity of sugar. If no at- 

 tention be paid to the mould, the vinegar after some time altogether disappears." 



Grape Vinegar. Vinegar from toddy is said to be largely used for medicinal purposes, and sells 



at Us. 10 to Rs. 12 a maund. Grape and raisin vinegar (see p. 1119) are more costly, 

 selling at Rs. 15 to Rs. 20 a maund. Grape vinegar is thus described: a solution 

 is made of sugar in water, about 18 seers of sugar to a maund of water, and grapes 

 are then crushed into this solution and the mixture set aside. In time it turns 

 into vinegar. Being expensive, grapes are, however, not very largely used for this 



Jaman Vinegar, purpose on the plains. Jdman vinegar (see p. 526) is made chiefly in Lucknow and 

 costs Rs. 10 a maund, while vinegar from barley costs Rs. 15 a maund. A highly 



Arak-nana. refined form of vinegar termed arak-ndnd is obtained by redistilling ordinary 



vinegar along with a small quantity of mint (5 seers dry mint to the maund of 

 vinegar). The substance is said to be extensively manufactured in Lucknow and 

 to be used for pickling. It sells at Rs. 5 to Rs. 10 per maund. 



The chief centres of the vinegar trade are stated to be the large towns and 

 cities, notably Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Benares, Meerut, Bijnor, Agra and Shah- 

 jahanpur. Lucknow prepares all sorts of vinegars, both edible and medicinal, 

 and these are conveyed all over the Provinces and even to Calcutta. 



Panjab. Panjab. In connection with the correspondence above indicated, communi- 



cations were received from Lahore, Delhi, Multan, Jalandhar and Rawalpindi. 

 Of Lahore, it is stated that vinegar is prepared in the usual way from sugar or 



Sugar-cane. sugar-cane juices (rarely from molasses), but in combination with grapes, with 



alum (phitkari), or with salt as adjuncts. The price per maund of one-year- 



Price. old vinegar is Rs. 20, of vinegar six months old, Rs. 10. In Delhi there are 



four principal manufactories, and sugar-cane is almost solely employed. A 

 maund of cane-juice gives 30 seers vinegar. The vinegar in greatest demand is 



Arak-naina. arak-naina (or -ndnd) already described, namely that made from crude vinegar 



Oranges. by adding mint and subsequently distilling the mixture. Vinegar is also 



Grapes. occasionally made from grape-juice, raisins, jamans and oranges (see p. 327). The 



Jaman. total output of vinegar in Delhi is estimated at 1,200 maunds a year. In Multan 



three kinds are made anguri from grapes, kishmashi from raisins, jamani from 

 jamans, but it is prepared only in small quantities for local consumption. 



The Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar gives the method of preparation 

 pursued there. To one maund of sifted ras (sugar-cane juice) are added five bottles 

 of superior country vinegar and placed in a jar polished inside with lakh. The 

 mouth is closed and the jar set on one side for three or four months. It is then 

 filtered through a cloth at intervals " to rid it of worms or insects which collect 

 in it." A quarter-seer of ground tej pat (cinim momma Tntmtin, see p. 313) leaves 

 and half a chittack of ground kaulanji (xiyftin tmtim, see p. 811) and chillies 

 (see p. 268) are added, the mixture being left for a month or so more. It may 

 now be ready for use. The vinegar prepared from cane-juice is reddish in colour, 



Alum. k^ this may be corrected by the addition of alum (see p. 61). 



In Rawalpindi district, according to Robertson (Settl. Kept., 1880-7, 1893, 

 app., xxiv.), the manufacture of vinegar is a fairly important industry, the exports 

 being carried by river from Attock to Sukkar. In the town of Rawalpindi only one 



Baisins. vinegar-maker exists, who prepares it either from raisins (see p. 1 1 14) or from gur. 



1110 



