![Brightland Persimmon Tout](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/WjLhoW5AAwglitwktgjZjYn8E8c=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/brightland-persimmon-tout-4d7932b3346b45319a6511e5a98b6da3.jpg)
Brightland
Vinegar has always had a place in my family’s meals. Red wine vinegar has practically had its own seat next to olive oil at our holiday dinner table, and we could probably fill an entire swimming pool with the balsamic vinegar we’ve used to make pasta dishes, salad dressings, and sauces. So, when small brands crafting high quality, often seasonal vinegars, like Brightland, emerged, I couldn’t help but get excited. And the brand's most recent limited-edition launch is no letdown.
Although Folklore, a fermented persimmon vinegar, came out earlier this month, I’ve been using a sample from the brand since early January. Unsurprisingly, this vinegar has edged its way into my daily repertoire with total ease. As a seasonal produce-obsessed person (coupled with my love for the tang of vinegar) it was a match made in heaven.
![Brightland Persimmon](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/PWAIoD1UuW2ykRe5ceKdvZigNc8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/brightland-persimmon-3926-1-442653f07478479cb218b7986f8ead91.jpg)
Food & Wine / Kristin Montemarano
To buy: Brightland Folklore Persimmon Vinegar, $25 at brightland.com
I make a salad every day, so my favorite way to utilize Folklore is with my dressings in place of red wine vinegar. Known as one of the more punchy alternatives to other vinegars like white wine or white balsamic, red wine vinegar has strong fruity notes and a heavy grape taste. This persimmon version is similar, since it still has that boldness I love, but is a touch brighter with a faint hint of sweetness from the fruit.
The packaging was simple, but still secure enough to ensure I didn’t lose a drop. It comes in a small but mighty 200ml glass bottle — the perfect vessel for showing off its rich, sunny-orange hue. Embossed on the front is the Brightland design, and the back of the bottle gives you a bit more insight to how this tangy condiment was made.
![Brightland Persimmon](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/pl7lLfNUzP1akIc8i8bD6jY4GWA=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/brightland-persimmon-3940-7f656e84ec5041e3929a388e7cf84a33.jpg)
Food & Wine / Kristin Montemarano
One thing worth noting is that the vinegar was produced in collaboration with the White Buffalo Land Trust, a ranch in Santa Barbara, California that focuses on regenerative agriculture, which is a farming practice that aims to maintain and rehabilitate land. These measures help preserve the farmland for growth, but also the area’s ecosystem. That means the persimmons used to make the vinegar — organic Fuyu and Hachiya — are grown on family farms with regenerative practices, so you can snap this up knowing it’s making a sustainable impact as opposed to conventionally farmed options.
The persimmons are naturally fermented to produce vinegar through a two-step process, which starts with converting the sugars in the fruit to alcohol, and then the alcohol to acetic acid. The acetic acid means you’ll also find a “mother” in it, or that cloudy looking debris we see with apple cider vinegar.
Though the brand claims the mother acts as a probiotic for your gut, there hasn’t been scientific evidence to back it up. Instead, I view it as just an indicator of the fermentation process of vinegar. Finally, the vinegar is aged for a year before they bottle it, which can help mellow and balance the flavor.
![Brightland Persimmon](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/iIUiJ6ox7vAnV4m47v_LILvl_8A=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/brightland-persimmon-4500-b111c5f02a0047098aac56d8e79547b1.jpg)
Food & Wine / Kristin Montemarano
The bottle is nearly gone, though it’s lasted a lot longer than some of my other beloved options. That’s thanks to the fact that a small amount goes a long way, which is really saying something because I have a heavy hand when it comes to acids. Whether I am using it to make dressings for my daily salad, dressing up pasta, adding it to oil for bread-dipping, or using it to round out a drink, sauce, or stew, I try to stay mindful that I only need a small amount. I like to use it raw to preserve the almost sunny-like flavor it has when you taste it, so I save other kinds like balsamic for sauteing.
My only gripe with the product is that it’s expensive for the size ($25 a bottle) and that it is limited-edition, so it may be hard to get in the future. Because of that, I save it for the uses where it really shines and I don’t use it in excess. You’ll surely want to grab Folklore before it sells out.
At the time of publishing, the price was $25.