Quick ? - Has my balsamic vinegar gone bad?

[mightymoo]

I went to use my bottle of organic balsamic vinegar and when I poured out a teaspoon it had little black flakes in it. Looks like they were settled on the bottom of the bottle - does this mean its gone bad or is it still useable?

[cristeen]

Does it look like mold?

Chances are good that it's just sediment - and it's an indicator you should probably either shake the bottle more (to work it all loose and distribute it) or less (to leave it all on the bottom). As long as it doesn't appear to be part of the bottle itself, it's probably fine.

[somegirl99]

I agree it sounds like sediment, you could filter it through cheesecloth if you like.

[velochic]

Hmmm... You can't go by the smell, can you? I doubt it has gone bad, but it may have something in it that shouldn't be. If it's over a year old, I'd get new balsamic.

[mightymoo]

Thanks, it was a kind of sediment it wasn't part of the bottle itself, and I ended up using it after all, it seemed to smell fine. But I probably should get a new bottle. Maybe a small one since I don't apparently use that much balsamic!