We've all had the experience of being halfway through cooking dinner, reaching for a key ingredient, and finding it gone. If you're a fan of salads or marinades, then finding you have no balsamic vinegar will be a problem. You could run to the store for more, but dinner is almost ready, and who has the time? But a few other staples can combine to create something close enough to balsamic vinegar that no one will know the difference.
Lemon juice might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of balsamic vinegar, but with a bit of a tweak, it is perfect. The lemon juice serves many of the same culinary purposes as balsamic vinegar. In a dressing, it provides the same tang, while in a marinade it has the acidity that helps to tenderize the meat.
To get closer to the complex sweet, umami, zing of balsamic vinegar, mix lemon juice thoroughly with equal amounts of molasses and soy sauce. What other ingredients can replace balsamic vinegar? High-end balsamic vinegar is made from grape must (freshly pressed grapes that still include the skin, juice, seeds, and stem) and can be aged for as long as 25 years. Some more common brands are made from grape must and red wine vinegar and aged for less time (the red wine vinegar helps to cut down the lengthy process to as little as a few months).
Another ingredient isn't going to simply replace that, but some can get close, depending on the need of the dish you're creating. The different layers of balsamic vinegar can be emphas.