Turbatrix aceti is a microscopic nematode that is also called the vinegar eel. They tolerate a wide range of acidity and alkalinity, so they can live on the microbes that turn juice into vinegar. An article at LiveScience tells us how they move inside a drop of water.
After roaming the droplet randomly for the better part of an hour, some nematodes began to cluster at the center, while others swarmed to the water's edge, racing around the rim like cars in a roundabout. Soon, individual nematodes began undulating their bodies — then, others nearby started to undulate in sync.Watching this synchronized movement is all well and good, but seeing it makes me wonder if these vinegar eels are in our water supply, or in our vinegar. According to Wikipedia, they prefer feasting on mother of vinegar to anything else. They are neither parasitic nor dangerous, but American manufacturers of vinegar pasteurize the product and filter out nematodes before the vinegar goes to market. (via Damn Interesting)
2 comments:
Numerous apple cider vinegars such as Bragg's are sold unpasteurized, with the 'mother'. I know because I have been making fire cider for two months now and have run through about 5 quart bottles thus far.
Be thankful we can't see of all the tiny critters without a lot of magnification, or we'd be severely limited on what we dared to eat or even touch.
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